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Saturday, April 26, 2008 -- Morgantown, WV
Parents Place 5K-MAGP Sprint #4 (iPO Event Id#: 10758)

[Details] [Coverage] [Photos] [Overall Results] [Results by Class] [2006] [2007]

Hills, Heat, and Whole Lot of Happiness

Article by Julie Black, photos by Maria af Rolen

Parents Place 5K
Kid Races photo by Marial af Rolen
The race was a great success- with over 130 participants, excellent weather, and lots of activities for the kids including races, the Fun Factory booth, and Tootsie the Clown. There was a lot of great food for everyone thanks to Papa Johns Pizza & Panera Bread.

Held at Jack Roberts Park, the course took runners and walkers around the rolling hills of First Ward neighborhood.

Derek Daniel said, "The course was a pretty good mix, with 2 good hills."

Race host, Parents' Place, has provided a unique parent-run, non-denominational program open to all parents and their preschool children for more than 25 years.

Race director Heidi Wiedebusch happily offered some feedback, "At Parent's Place (PP), we encourage physical activity by having a lot of local speakers come in to tell us of events going on, such as the WV Botanical Garden's amphibian walks, the Fun Factory, Morgantown Aquatics, and Janna Kisner who hosts her interactive music classes for little ones. Although we are not a part of the Fun Factory, many of our members past and present, are involved in its operation."

Parents Place 5K
Start Smiles, photo by Marial af Rolen
On this rather hot spring day, Larry Taylor was able to use the hilly course to his advantage and repeat a first place finish. With a time of 17:15.5, Taylor won first overall (as he did in 2007) and earned himself the 2nd place position in the Sprint overall points, the MAGP Series presented by Dynamic Physical Therapy.

The race's top three mirrored the Ambulance Chase 5K, with Brian Pettit and Murshid Latif, both of Morgantown, following Taylor.

Pettit claimed 2nd in 17:28 and Latif 3rd with a time of 17:45. Latif still leads the Sprint points race as the top male with 355 points, just 7 above Larry Taylor.

The women's race was equally interesting. Heather Parks bested her last MAGP 5K time from the Ambulance Chase and shaved 10 seconds off her time.

Parks finished the day as the first female with a time of 19:30, and crossed the line as 8th overall. When asked about the course Heather replied, "It was hard, very hilly... HOT."

Parents Place 5K
Tootsie, photo by Marial af Rolen
Jenn Sober of Mchenry, MD, also ran a faster 5K this week, finishing 2nd for the women with a time of 19:57 and 11th overall.

Neither Parks nor Sober are competing in the MAGP Series this year, which leaves Sue Heaver at the top . . . almost.

In the Sprint points race, 9-year old Kaylyn Harris still leads with overall points, but Heaver is gaining fast. She finished 3rd for the women with a time of 21:27, and 16th overall.

After the race it was time for more outdoor fun.

Several people said they heard about the event from iPlayOutside or the school, or both, plus they came out to enjoy the nice weather.

Many children were asked the question, "Why do you play outside?"

  • Kevin said he liked running because it made him feel like a cheetah.

  • Another little boy named every sport he liked... baseball, biking, basketball, football (lol).

  • A little girl said she liked playing in the sandbox, but her mother said she just liked getting all covered in dirt.

  • Another little girl said she liked the sun because it made everything grow up big and strong and she wanted to grow up big and strong too.

Special thanks to "B-aria and Chimpy" for the interviews.



Parents Place 5K
Friends, photo by Marial af Rolen
Are you interested in Parent's Place?

PP is open for children from birth to 5 years of age. There are set classes for children ages one-five years old that encourage social interaction, offer arts and crafts, and foster early learning experiences. There is no after school program. Our school is only open Mon-Thurs. 9:30-11:30. People bring their children one or two days a week.

Call PP at (304) 291-3646 for more information.

This is the first official "physical" fundraiser type of activity that PP has done. Other fundraisers are a Silent Auction, Buckwheat dinner, and various other small things throughout the year.

They are always part of Kids Day in Morgantown, WV, with more than 60 scheduled events. Look for their booth there on July 19th!