Lakeside fifth-graders finish off year with 5K run

It’s not every day that Zach Perrin is out-sprinted by a fifth-grader.

The sophomore track-and-field phenom from Flathead High School already has an individual Class AA state title and several additional All-state accolades to his name, but when he took off from the starting line at the fourth annual Lakeside Elementary School fifth-grade 5K, winning was the furthest thing from his mind.

Perrin, a Somers Middle School alumnus, was one of four high school track athletes who participated in the run, which was held June 8 at Volunteer Park. The teens were on hand to help encourage the fifth-grade students to finish the race.

“I just tried to tell them anything positive to help them get through the race,” Perrin said. “I think they look up to older kids.”

The Lakeside fifth-grade teachers first came up with the idea for the end-of-the-year road race in 2008. It began as a way to promote health and fitness among students. When they saw how much the kids enjoyed it, they knew they had to keep it going in future years.

“We decided it was so good for the kids that we wanted to make it an annual event,” said fifth-grade teacher Rachel Stevens.

The teachers start talking to their students about the 5K during the last trimester of school, which gives some of the more serious runners an opportunity to prepare for the race.

“Some of them who are really interested in running train for it a little bit, but most of them just get out there and go,” Stevens said.

Each year, the effort to organize the race is spearheaded by Holiday Madich, who also teaches fifth grade at Lakeside.

Madich said accomplishment, not competition, is the main emphasis of the event.

“The focus is to say you’re going to do something, to follow through and to finish it,” Madich said. “They’re all winners.”

The high school track athletes, most of whom are state medal winners, help reinforce the atmosphere of self-esteem building.

“They’re so good,” Madich said. “They encourage them (the fifth-graders) the whole way.”

Madich’s favorite part of the race is the finish line, where students who have already finished the race line up to cheer on their classmates who are still coming in.

“It just brings me such joy to see them encourage each other,” Madich said.

One of those students was fifth-grader Abigail Lembke, who was the top finisher among the girls. After crossing the line and catching her breath, Lembke jogged back along the course to pick up some of her friends.

“It (the race) was hard, but it was fun,” said Lembke, who competed in the mile for the Highlander Track Club last year.

Lembke ran most of the race with Bailey Hughes, another runner from the Flathead High School track team.

“She walked when I walked, and ran when I ran,” Lembke said.

Perrin crossed the line just behind top fifth-grade boys finisher Alex Murphy, who said he first discovered his running talent when he began playing basketball about five years ago.

“I was always able to stay ahead of the rest of the players when I was running with the ball,” he said.

Murphy said that aside from the steep hill in the middle of the race, everything went pretty smoothly during the 5K.

“It was probably the best run I’ve ever done,” Murphy said.

Perrin, who began his own running career around the time when he was in fifth grade, said he was inspired by the students’ determination to finish.

“I have a lot of respect for these kids,” he said. “I think it’s awesome that they’re all out here.”