On the sunny morning of October 20, Lafayette embarked on its annual reservoir run. For over thirty years, the town has hosted the event as a fundraiser, where money is raised for local schools’ PTAs and the Lafayette Chamber. All residents are eligible to run. The sense of community it fosters, however, has proven to be more valuable in terms of benefits.
Freshman Aidan Davis, who participated in the reservoir run for his second time said, “The run was kind of challenging, but also easy. I did the shorter run, which was the 5K. I ran with a friend and it just made the run more fun.” Davis is also a proud member of the cross country team, adding, “I figured it would give me some extra practice…It was a big crowd, and it gave me more confidence to run faster and more competition to run against.” Side-by-side with Davis in the 5K run was fellow freshman Jonah Houston, who noted, “It gave me something really enjoyable to do that Saturday. It was really fun to see everyone get out there; it shows that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are, everyone wants to get out there and support the community in some way.”
With over a thousand registrations for race day, Davis and Houston were not the only runners to note the impressive number of people present, which has been a constant in the fundraiser’s history. Sophomore Hope Petersil, who was in attendance at the reservoir run for Campo cheerleading said “one thing I noticed was that even after people finished these long runs, they were happy and proud about what they were doing. During the event, you’re running with all these people you may or may not know…you’re never alone because even if you want to start walking, there are so many other people walking too.”
Both Petersil and Davis noted that participants had several options to choose from in terms of events, including the certified 5K, which began at 8 AM as a flat, timed race for runners only, the 10K at 8:15 as a hilly, timed course, and the untimed 2 mile fun run at 8:45. While the 10k route included a loop from Oak Hill Road to El Nido Ranch Road, around the Lafayette Reservoir and back, both the 5k and the 2 mile run did not involve going around the Lafayette Reservoir. “I think it took me about twenty minutes to run [the 5K],” Davis recalled. “On the way up, it was slightly uphill, so over time it just started to wear me down, but once we turned around it got easier.”
The Lafayette Reservoir Run presented an opportunity to get out on a Saturday morning and enjoy the good weather – but also as a way to spend more time with the community and challenge one’s personal limits.
