COVINGTON, Ga. — The 21st annual Cheerios Challenge on Saturday featured 796 runners participating in mile, 5K, 10K and “Trix Trot” races for younger runners.
The event exceeded the fundraising goal by bringing in $92,855 for the YMCA’s Annual Campaign, which gives families experiencing financial hardship the ability to attend Y activities.
“It was our best event ever,” YMCA Executive Director Louly Hay-Kapp said. “The excitement around getting out was a beautiful day and healthy event and the support for the Y was better than ever.”
With 70-degree weather and live music from The Strats Cats Band, the Truist Post-Race Festival at the Covington YMCA’s Cheerios Challenge attracted spectators and runners alike.
The mile race started at 8 a.m., the 5K and 10K races started at 8:30 a.m., and the 50-yard “Trix Trot” for children 5 and under began at 9:30 a.m.
Overall, the races went off without a hitch. However, a minor delay occurred after the company recording runners’ times, Orion, experienced technical difficulties. Due to this, only the top mile racers were recognized at the awards ceremony on Legion Field.
“The race company had some technical issues with the timing, so we do not have results yet,” Hay-Kapp said. “He told me they were going to do it manually through the night.”
Results were released later that afternoon. The women’s 10K race was won in 47:15 by Joyce Zhang from Oxford College and the men’s race in 36:55 by Courtland Buntin of Milledgeville.
Emily Wilhelm of Oxford College and Ben Parr won the 5K races, with times of 22:06 and 18:35, respectively. Isabelle Patrick and Jameel Bashir won the mile race in 9:23 and 8:40, respectively.
Zhang, who ran the 10K at the Cheerios run that was held in November due to delays from the COVID-19 pandemic, said that the increase in spectators and runners this year helped motivate her to the finish line.
‘It was nice to keep up with people because in the last race there were no people near me so seeing people nearby helped me keep going and finish it,” Zhang said.
Ali Houston, who ran the 5K at the November race, said that this April’s finish line event had “a lot more to see and do.”
She ran the 10K this year with her husband, Jeremy Houston. The pair said the good weather made for perfect running conditions.
“It’s fantastic — the run was really nice,” Ali Houston said.
The event was supported by 165 volunteers, 35 vendors and 24 sponsoring companies.
At the finish-line festival, vendors, such as Abiding Grace Lutheran Church, handed out merchandise and provided fun activities for runners at the finish line. The church, which sponsors tables at the finish line every year, handed out free snacks and gatorade.
“Our main mission is to come out and share treats and goodies with everybody who comes out to run,” church member Paulina Lightsey said. “And, we have the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with everybody in the community.”
Greeting the runners at the finish line were employees from the Newton County Water and Sewerage Authority (NCWSA), who handed out cups of water.
This is their second time working the Cheerios run, NCWSA volunteer Tracy Clark said.
Hay-Kapp extended her appreciation for all those who made this year’s event possible.
“Huge thanks to the Covington Police Department and all of our sponsors and all of our loyal volunteers who have been helping us for years,” Hay-Kapp said. “We’re just so grateful for what they do that makes this happen and supports the work of the Y in this community.”
