Students from all around Lethbridge ran for the pumpkin last weekend at Nicholas Sheran Park.

The event was comprised of elementary through high school students from all around Lethbridge running in a recreational race, followed by an ACAC sanctioned college race.

Ramona Stewart, founder and organizer of Run for the Pumpkin, said the race has grown immensely since its inception.

“Thirty-one years ago, I’d been coaching cross-country for young athletes and there weren’t any races in the locality for them. We decided to put on a run, call it Run for the Pumpkin and give out pumpkins at the end.”

Stewart said they had 60 people run in the first year and gave out 60 pumpkins. This year, they had over 500 children run in the two-kilometre and about 100 in the four-kilometre race. Including the college runners, they gave out nearly 700 pumpkins.

Bertil Johansson, Lethbridge College’s cross-country coach, participated in the organization and operation of the event for the first 26 years alongside Stewart.

Johansson plans on retiring after 32 years coaching cross-country, as the most decorated coach in Kodiaks history.

He said there could not be a more fitting event for his last time coaching at home.

“There were a couple of years where [Lethbridge College] couldn’t run it because we were racing elsewhere in Alberta, but it’s a great community event. There are 700-some runners this year… it’s one of the biggest races in Lethbridge.”

The event was hosted by the Lethbridge College Kodiaks in conjunction with the ACAC Running Room Grand Prix #3.

Danny Robdrup, a member of the Kodiaks’ men’s cross-country team, said they don’t often get the opportunity to run so close to home.

“We travel probably the most out of every school, so being able to walk across the street and run in your own backyard is nice.”

Home field advantage paid off for the Kodiaks as the women’s team took first place in their event while the men’s team took second in theirs.

The Kodiaks’ next cross-country event will be the ACAC Running Room Grand Prix #4 on Sept. 29 at Lakeland College.