2011 race results
Like most holiday celebrations, Thanksgiving Weekend at Hesston College is full of tradition. Each year, participants look forward to the talent show, music department performances and men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, not to mention the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
One Hesston College Thanksgiving tradition that has grown in popularity among students, faculty, staff, community members, and out-of-town guests over the years is the annual run/walk, known for the past six years as the Howard Hustle. The 2011 celebration will mark its 20th year as part of the weekend lineup.
The run/walk was dreamt into existence by Jen LeFevre, who has served in multiple roles, including coach, physical education instructor and activities director, for 22 years. During her first Thanksgiving Weekend as a Hesston College employee, LeFevre realized the weekend provided ample time for guests to sit and little time for physical activity.
“I noticed how incredibly dormant people were during Thanksgiving,” said LeFevre. “We needed something active for people to combat all the sitting.”
So for her second Thanksgiving Weekend, LeFevre introduced a one-mile fun run on the day after Thanksgiving called the Mininger Mile, named for then interim president, Jim Mininger.
“You can find fun runs all over now, but people weren’t doing them back then,” said LeFevre. “It was a novelty to people, but I thought I could talk anyone into running one mile.”
And she did talk people into running one mile – she talked 29 of them into it.
Even with a meager turnout during the first year, the fun run became a staple Thanksgiving tradition on the Hesston campus.
Over the last 19 years, the event has grown, evolved, changed distances as it moved from one mile to a 5K before settling on the compromise of the current two miles, and even changed names as presidents come and go. For 10 years the run was called the Swartzendruber Sprint for Loren Swartzendruber, then spent two years as the Wiebe Wobblin’ and Gobblin’ for interim President Peter Weibe, and has been the Howard Hustle for Howard Keim since 2005.
In 2003 the existence of the run was threatened by budget cuts. Campus activities sponsored and organized the run, but as LeFevre said, it had become a “money pit,” and just didn’t seem like a feasible option. Yet the Admissions Department insisted the run was necessary as visiting prospective students, parents and families enjoyed the event.
All that was needed was someone to organize it. LeFevre’s Recreational Leadership class seemed like the logical choice as it allowed students practical, hands-on experience and the opportunity to complete an entire cycle of program development.
The class brainstormed ways to increase participation, including mod contests for students with the top finishing men’s and women’s mod winning free t-shirts for the entire mod and offering extra credit points to students in Fitness Concepts and Nutrition classes.
Their efforts paid off – literally.
“I went to the students and said, ‘We have a problem – the event is making money for the first time ever,’” said LeFevre. “We had to find something to do with it.”
The run has made money and been sustainable each year since with proceeds being donated to various causes. Gifts have been given to the Student Emergency Fund, to the Dyck Arboretum to assist in vandalism cleanup and purchased supplies and equipment for the new Friesen Center for the Visual Arts building.
This year, the money will go toward the construction of a labyrinth on campus.
“The labyrinth will work at improving mental, physical, emotional and spiritual wellness,” said LeFevre. “When you work your way through a labyrinth, you are encouraged to pray, meditate, brainstorm, or create – all things that positively impact many aspects of wellness.”
The 2010 Howard Hustle saw 425 participants cross the finish line – the most ever. LeFevre hopes that the 2011 run will have even more.
“This event is a way to get active, it gives students real life experience in event planning, and it is a good social event for families,” said LeFevre. “It’s fun to see the interaction that happens at the middle and back of the pack. College students who could easily run the race walk with their parents instead and spend those 30 minutes in dialogue. Board members, alumni and community members connect with current and prospective students and faculty and staff get to know students’ families.”
Jacob Landis, a Hesston College freshman from Sterling, Illinois will run the Howard Hustle for the third time this year. Landis placed second overall the last two years as a prospective student, finishing behind semi-professional triathlete Kevin Nickel from Newton, Kan. As the top runner on the men’s cross country team, Landis enjoys the good-natured competition with other returning runners and trying to improve from one year to the next.
“As a runner, I run races mostly just to race, but I have a great respect for all participants regardless of their ability or dedication to the sport,” said Landis. “The Howard Hustle is a great opportunity to get out and enjoy the community of Hesston with friends and family.”
The run will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 25. An early entry fee of $15 is being offered to registrants until Nov. 16. The fee after Nov. 16 is $20. Entry fees cover t-shirts and a chip timer for each runner, which are new for 2011 and will allow organizers to keep more accurate records. Any remaining proceeds will be donated to The Hesston College Labyrinth Project. Individuals may donate a gift to the Labyrinth Project without participating in the run.
Medals and a ceramic tile made by art faculty Hanna Eastin will be given to overall and age group winners, and all participants will have the chance to win door prizes.
For more information, to register for the run or to make a donation to the labyrinth project go to the Thanksgiving Weekend schedule on the Hesston College webpage at www.hesston.edu or call Jen LeFevre at 620-327-8277.