Pumpkin Plod runners squeeze in fitness before turkey
Forty-two years ago, firstyear Highland High School cross-country coach John Bobalik and his varsity assistant Leo Van Laan were looking for a way to get their group of distance runners to train during the offseason.
After brainstorming, a 6mile distance race to be run through Highland streets on Thanksgiving morning was agreed upon. It was thought the students would want to run their best in front of their friends, family and everyone else they knew in Highland, so that would provide the motivation to continue running.
The Highland Parks and Recreation Department came on board, and The Pumpkin Plod was born. The event has grown from 106 participants that first year to 1,169 entrants this year.
Early registration for this year’s competition numbered 856, with 313 more contestants signing up on the day of.
“The Highland community is big on tradition, and I think this event is a perfect display of that,” said Dave Byers, Highland parks recreation director. “Families and friends who have been running this race for several years look forward to it as a way to get together and burn a few calories before indulging in another tradition — that of Thanksgiving Day dinner.”
A 10K run, 5K run and 5K walk were the three choices of the morning. For the first time, race coordinators offered the 5K course as a timed race.
Rick and Debbie Fenno, of Crown Point, are seasoned runners who have attended the Pumpkin Plod race for the past three years.
“This is a great event with a good variety,” Debbie Fenno said. “You see people of all ability levels here.”
The early years of the race course featured parts of the current course with race headquarters, race-day registration and postrace festivities at Highland Junior High School. The start and finish of the race was on the corner of 41st Street and 5th Street.
This year, festivities began at Kennedy and Highway avenues and finished at Lincoln Center.
As the crowd of spectators and runners/walkers gathered at the main inter- section of downtown Highland, the sun was peeking out, although the temperature hovered near 30 degrees.
The MonteMayer family of Munster were among the first to arrive at the starting line. Dominic, 12, was registered for the 5K race and mom Kim and Mia, 10, were walkers. Dominic runs cross-country and plays soccer, so the race was a perfect fit for him.
“This (race) is a good experience for me,” he said. “I’m hoping to improve my time.”
Lyd i a Sa n d ova l , o f Chesterton, has run in numerous races and placed in last year’s Pumpkin Plod.
“I’ve earned plaques and ribbons before, but I’m here for the pumpkin pie,” she said with a laugh. “I can use it for my family’s dinner.”
Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.