Parents, kids trod together in 5K
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland/Valley Journal Lauren Arnold and Marguerite Brenner cross the finish line at the Mission Valley Kids Walk Run 5K.
Megan Strickland
he Means family came dressed as a Batman clan.
Megan Strickland
Superheros take off from the starting line.
Megan Strickland
Megan Strickland
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POLSON – Two-year-old Marguerite Brenner looked a bit red-faced as she floated across the finish line for the first annual Mission Valley Kids Walk Run 5K in Polson.
In some ways the tiny tot had a good reason to be exhausted; five kilos is a long way when your legs are that small, but Brenner wasn’t exactly traveling on her own power. As she crossed the finish line, Brenner sat atop mom Lauren Arnold’s shoulders. Arnold pulled Brenner in a stroller up and down most of the sloping topography that surrounds the Polson Walmart race area. It wasn’t Arnold’s first time to run with the stroller and the results were evident. A few teenagers beat Arnold and Brenner to the finish line, but they were at the front of the pack the entire way.
“It was fun,” Arnold said as she finished.
Event organizer Eleanor Vizcarra said she wasn’t sure the course would be difficult enough for experienced runners. She also wanted it to be easy enough that kids wearing superhero outfits could complete the course with their parents.
“It’s pretty challenging,” Vizcarra said as she watched youngsters pant their way up the easier one-mile course.
The proceeds of the run, organized by Friends of Ronan Parks and Trails, will benefit the Lake County/Flathead Reservation trail system.
Volunteer Michelle Fenger said she enjoyed the event.
“It promotes a healthy lifestyle in our community and it brings people together,” Fenger said. “It’s nice to see how many people showed up. It’s nice to see people running and being healthy together.”
