The Lynbrook PTA hosted the Fly with the Owls race on Sunday, October 12 to raise money for the Lynbrook Council of PTAs Scholarship Fund. Senior runner and participant Naseer Gaffoor shared, “It feels good [to participate in this event] because it raises money for scholarships, and I like to run, so it’s a win-win!” All participants flocked to Lynbrook North Middle School where both the start and finish lines were located. Before the big 5K race, younger children were allowed to participate in a fun run with the Lynbrook Owl on the turf field at Lynbrook North at 8:00 AM. It was a quick run that went one lap around the turf. This part of the event was organized by LHS’s Varsity Club. Members of the club helped direct the runners where to go while they ran alongside the Lynbrook Owl mascot.

Following the fun run, senior vocalist Alexa Rutigilano sang the National Anthem and was greeted by many cheers and claps of runners. After both the fun run and National Anthem, runners and walkers of the 5K began lining up at the start line to begin the race.

The course was the same as last year, and runners ran through the streets of Lynbrook. Starting at North Middle, the runners ran down Sherman Street to Marshall Avenue, then down Hendrickson Avenue to Whitehall Street. Runners then ran down Stuart and President Streets and made a right onto Pearsall Avenue for the homestretch. Participants then ran down Walnut, Winter, and Burtis Streets before returning to Lynbrook North. As the runners ran the course, Lynbrook residents cheered on the runners throughout the course. At each mile marker, there were cups of water given out to runners who wished to have a quick drink. Junior and race participant Grace Clausen said, “I thought the course was really nice and easy to understand where to go because of the way they laid things out. Everyone on the side lines was so encouraging and made me want to keep running.”

At the end of the race, runners were greeted with much applause by both spectators and participants who had already finished. Additionally, the middle school cheer team cheered on runners and walkers as they finished. Refreshments were supplied by food trucks, like the Lady Java food truck that offered caffeinated drinks and various snacks. Additionally, there was an award ceremony that provided medals to the top finishers. The top female overall finisher was junior Delia Kirkpatrick, and the top male runner was Connor Corgard.

Overall, the day was a success. Clausen added, “I really enjoyed the whole experience… It was such a great way to bring people from Lynbrook together. The weather was perfect for running, and the trees were beautiful with the fall colors, which made it better to run.” Additionally, sophomore and runner Melania Stark reflected, “I did the 5K because I enjoy running—especially with people I know— and many people on the cross-country team were running. It’s also a good opportunity to practice for upcoming meets.”