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Community Corner

More Than 200 Turn Out for Elkster 5K

Elkridge Elementary PTA sponsored the school's first 5K race last weekend.

Parents, faculty, students and guests ran to the finish in Elkridge Elementary's first 5K race . About 150 people participated in the race, another 20 volunteered and about 50 people were spectators.

Runners started at the upper parking lot, looped twice and reached the finish line in front of .

Elkster stood near the finish line encouraging the runners as they came close to the end. He cheered and slapped their hands.

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But the June 11 race attracted more than the elementary school students who adored their lovable mascot.

Runners came from all over the East Coast. Mary Jo Pavall, a resident of New Jersey who won first place in her division, entered to support her daughter, a fourth grade teacher. If the school sponsored a race next year, Pavall said she plans to attend again.

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“It was harder than I thought it would be, but I would do it again,” said Donna Danieli, a parent with two children in the school, in grades four and five.

Danieli and one of her children won first place in their categories. She said she wants to raise funds for the school; to promote healthy living; and to support the PTA, which created the event.

William Swingle was the first to cross the finish line, with a time of 19 minutes and 23 seconds and was considered the overall winner. His mother-in-law is a kindergarten teacher. Swingle runs on a regular basis but found the course not what he knows.

“This was a good course, but it was different because we ran over grass. I haven't done cross-country before, but I enjoyed it,” Swingle said.

After the race,  PTA members awarded medals to the winners and prizes from a raffle to runners.

The turnout was more than PTA members said they expected for their first year doing this race. They plan to change the course next year to keep the running on grass to a minimum, they said.

Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect that one of Donna Danieli's children, rather than two, ran in the race.

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