As the tides of change sweep over Newton County with every passing day, small-town traditions remain at the core of what makes the community special. The annual Covington Police Department Fuzz Run is perhaps at the forefront of these traditions.

Runners from all walks of life arrived at the start line in the early morning of Sept. 13 to enjoy the scenery of downtown Covington in the 42nd installment of this long-standing tradition.

This year, the Fuzz Run had a total of 2,741 registered participants, which is an increase of over 500 from 2024.

Retired Covington Police Department Officer Chip Shirah served as the race director for this year’s installment. As someone with a wealth of knowledge about this event, Shirah understands what this tradition means to those in the community.

“The success of this race goes back 42 years with the support for our community, the participants and all our local businesses,” Shirah said. “Many locals begin getting in shape a couple months before the race, because for many of them this is the only run they race each year.”

The first installment of the Fuzz Run was held in 1983 by then-Captain Willie Davis and then-Chief Bobby Moody of the Covington Police Department. Proceeds of that run, as well as all other versions of this event, have gone toward the Police Who Cares Fund, a fund started in 1974 by Officer Frank Hilton.

As interest waned in the 1990s, the Fuzz Run almost never became the beloved tradition it is today. But thanks to promotion from the Covington Police Department’s Community Outreach Division, as well as the emergence of digital media platforms over the years, the race now consistently draws over 2,000 attendees each year.

An equally integral part of the Fuzz Run is the vendors and sponsors who make it possible. This, too, is something that grew this year, according to Merchandise Coordinator Kristi Greco.

“The amount of vendors at the festivities afterwards seemed to be a lot more vendors, and everyone had a great time,” Greco said.

Another factor that often determines the success of each year’s Fuzz Run is Mother Nature. In recent years, rain has put a damper on the turnout. 

However, at sunny and 70 degrees, the weather was more than ideal for this year’s runners.

“This year’s weather was probably the best weather we have ever had for the event,” Greco said.

For the second consecutive year, it was 15-year-old Chance Henderson who won the 5K with a time of 16:55. Tate Moorcroft, 18, finished second once again with a time of 17:36. 

Kaleb Blazina, 15, improved from ninth to third place this year with a time of 17:46. Rounding out the top 10 were Henry Ferguson, Jordan Beam, Hunter Land, Canaan Stowe, Hudson Ferguson, Jackson Dobbs and Ryan McKee.

The youngest  5K participants were Lakeley Henry, Brady Price and Aiden Ward, all just five years old. Quintiss Johnson, age 86, was once again the oldest competitor.

With the 42nd Fuzz Run now officially in the books, runners will now prepare once again to take on the streets of Covington next year. The 43rd Fuzz Run is scheduled for Sept. 12, 2026.

Photo gallery by Michael Bandoo | The Covington News