Middle School Cross Country Run 

Words: Valerie Lin

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On September 20th, 2024, the cross-country run started at 9:10 a.m. at Makomanai Park. The cross-country run is an activity for students from ages 5-19. Students had been training for weeks and were excited to put their training to the test! But how could they prepare for what the weather would bring?

For the middle school girls, the rain was small at first, but as they pushed themselves further and harder, so did the storm. In a flash, the rain was like a waterfall pouring down from the sky; nothing could stop it. Even though it was tough, middle school girls still gave their best effort and pushed themselves; they crossed through all the difficulties they could have faced and ran towards the finish line. All the middle school boys were cheering for them! All of the middle school girls finished with competitive times!

Next was the middle school boys’ cross country run; at that time, all the boys were already soaked while waiting and cheering for the girls. The rain still hadn’t stopped yet when they were about to start, but as soon as they heard the starting sound, they, themselves, were like flashes of lightning; the rain couldn’t stop them.

The rain was unstable: it got big all of a sudden and small all of a sudden, and after a while it finally stopped. But the winds were blowing like there was a rush; it was so cold that, after being soaked wet, the blowing wind made it feel like you were lost in a place as cold as Antarctica. But 3k is a short distance for some of the boys' runners, and soon, you could see the first boys racing towards the finish line. And just like the boys did, a group of middle school girls were cheering as loud as they could; they were cheering for the middle school boys.

To capture the day, our high school publication team, led by Mr. Pangier, rode bikes all the way from HIS to Makomanai park. The moment they arrived, they moved to their positions with cameras and GoPros, Insta 360 X4—and just in time. The rain began lightly at first, followed by the rumbling that preceded the torrent. Mr. Jared Pangier led the way with his bike, both a course marshal and videographer, capturing the start-line take-off and some of the other highlights of the cross-country run. High school student Hugo N, rode a school bike behind the runners, capturing the quick start and the eventual moments of weariness that washed over the back runners. Around the 3K course were dotted other high school publications students, taking some stunning still images of the action and emotion of the runners.

Following the boys' run, Mr. Rankin presided over the middle school award ceremonies, with six awards in total. No matter how the students placed, all finished; a huge achievement for all the students. Mr. Rankin and the supporting teachers vocalized how proud they are of our efforts. Hard work, continuously, does pay off!