Evans School and Rotary of Marlton to hold 5k Trail Run at Black Run Preserve on Oct. 12
The thrill of running is nothing new to the students at Evans Elementary School.
Two years ago, the school started its “Evans Recess Runners” program where students at the school can run during their lunch recess period, with every mile a student runs earning that student a wearable token to mark the achievement.
Now the school hopes to share that love of running with the public in a new way on Oct. 12 with the first-ever Evans School and Marlton Rotary 5K Trail Run at the Black Run Preserve.
The race, located at Evesham’s very own piece of the Pine Barrens between the Marlton Lakes and Kings Grant neighborhoods, will simultaneously offer runners the chance to keep healthy on a Sunday morning in October while also experiencing the beauty of the Pine Barrens as fall truly begins to take-over.
Participants will meet at Marlton Middle School, 150 Tomlinson Road, by 8 a.m. to be bused to the chip-timed race at the preserve.
The race will then start at 8:30 a.m., rain or shine, and is open to all ages with a $20 registration fee for those who sign up by Oct. 5, and a fee of $25 afterward and up until race day.
After the race, participants will be bused back to Marlton Middle School for a 10 a.m. awards ceremony, with awards given to the top three male and female finishers overall and awards given to the top male and female finisher in each age category.
Evans School Principal Nicholas DiBlasi said the idea of Evans holding a 5K came from the success of school’s Recess Runners program and wanting to give kids a goal to work toward with their running.
As for holding the 5K at the preserve, DiBlasi said it made sense since, as the district as a whole has always done work with the preserve and holding the race at this time of the time of year would give the runners a chance to appreciative something beautiful.
“It brings awareness to the Black Run Preserve, because a lot of people have heard about it, but don’t know what it is or where it is, and I think the more people that run there will get a sense of just truly how beautiful that place is,” DiBlasi said.
The event will be co-sponsored by the Rotary Club of Marlton, which in the past has annually distributed dictionaries to every third grader in the district.
Karen Labenz, president of the Rotary, said the organization had wanted to do a 5K fundraiser for some time, and when DiBlasi mentioned that Evans wanted to host a 5K as well, the match up seemed like a no-brainer.
“This is a way to get our name out there and become involved in the community and to show them that we’re here for them,” Labenz said. “It’s not just international projects like polio eradication, it’s helping our neighbors, and that’s what we enjoy doing most is helping our neighbors.”
After the awards ceremony, participants will also have the option to take part in an added educational bonus for the day, as buses will still be on hand to take runners back to the preserve for guided nature walks from members of the Friends of the Black Run Preserve, a group dedicated to being stewards of the preserve.
John Volpa, chair of the FBRP, said he hopes people will learn about the ecology of the preserve and what they can do to support the preserve as it faces issues such as illegal dumping, unauthorized motorized vehicles driving through the preserve and campfires.
“It’s an island of wilderness surrounded by suburbia,” Volpa said. “Its peacefulness and beauty are just minutes away from thousands of residents who may be looking for a place to walk, bike, run, birding, or simply to relax with family and friends.”
Those interested in signing up can visit www.evesham.k12.nj. us/evans or www.runsignup.com and search “Evans School.”
