YMCA Kids Classic enjoys run in the sun
22nd annual YMCA event draws 200 area youth, from kindergarten through sixth grade, to Dietz
About 200 kids from kindergarten through sixth grade ran in the 22nd annual YMCA Kingston Kids Classic at Dietz Stadium on Saturday.
Race Director Eleni Dedovich said the number of runners who ran in races, ranging from 50 meters for kindergarten kids to one-mile events for third, fourth and fifth and six graders was consistent with recent years.
“There’s a lot going on this weekend,” Dedovich said. “Some kids are going to baseball, others soccer.”
Dedovich said, unlike last year when there was rain, participants and fans lucked out with temperatures pushing into the 50s by mid-morning.
“It was chilly early on, but it warmed up nicely,” Dedovich said.
Dedovich said the race, sponsored by the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County, is part of a nationwide YMCA initiative known as Healthy Kids Day, which focuses on being active and healthy eating.
“It just seems to tie very well together,” Dedovich said.
The only change this year was to the schedule, which was rearranged to give kids who wanted to do more than one race a bit more time to rest between them, Dedovich said.
Dedovich said many kids return over the years.
“I see a lot of repeat faces,” Dedovich said, adding that she types a lot of the same names year after year when she does the results.
Suzan Brassard, of New Paltz, said she came out to the Kids Classic for the first time because she wanted to expose her kids to running.
“We’re happy to support the YMCA as well,” she said.
At her side was her daughter Ella, who competed in the fourth-grade 400-meter, and her son Beckett, who was taking part in the kindergarten 50-meter.
“It’s not that hard,” Ella said of the 400-meter.
Timothy Leiching took first in the fifth and sixth grade 400-meter. Leiching, who has run outside of the Kids Classic, said it felt good to win and added the distance wasn’t too bad.
“It’s only one lap,” Leiching said.
Right behind him was Isiah Pemberton, who also ran the fifth and sixth grade mile, placing second.
Pemberton credited said practicing and that he plays soccer helped him on the track.
Caden Hubbell took third in the fifth and sixth 400-meter, up from fifth last year and seventh his first year.
“I’ve been practicing a lot, playing soccer,” Hubbell said.
Hubbell said his soccer coach makes him run 12 laps around the field before each match and he estimates he runs two miles on average in each half.
Heather Marshall was there with her son Anthony Marshall, who ran in the first grade 100-meter, and daughter Cassandra Marshall, who competed in the second grade 200-meter along with Curtis Brown, their stepfather and coach of Cassandra’s soccer team, who had a match at 11:30 a.m.
“They heard about it in school, and they were really excited,” Brown said.
Several members of the Saugerties High track team volunteered to help run the race, cheering on kids and running alongside other who were struggling to finish.
Dylan Hartrum, who has run track since he was in seventh grade, said he wanted to help out and give back to the community.
“I like seeing them push themselves, and they get so happy when they get the medal at the end,” Hartrum said.
Shurmar Haminton, a sophomore in his first year volunteering, said he liked seeing the kids working so hard at such an early age.
They’re practicing at an early age, Haminton said.
“I like to see them try their hardest to finish the race and not give up,” Haminton said. “They’re motivating each other. They’re pretty good.”