Young Guns Dominate at D106 Fun Run

Saturday’s District 106 annual fun-run’s all-ages 5k race had a remarkable victor this year: 11-year-old Zak Hutchison, who ate up the course in an impressive 20:06.

Hutchison, of New Lenox, said he only started running last summer. He ran this race in honor of his 80-year-old aunt, Rosemarie Lee of La Grange, who passed away in April of this year of brain cancer.

Youth also dominated the fun-run’s mile race, where 12-year-old Allayna Gagnard of Clarendon Hills was the top finisher with a time of 6:19.

The boys had the second overall finisher: Alex Pall was the top male finisher with a time of 6:37.

And Lilja Waliewski, 7, of Western Springs, was the top finisher in the untimed tots race.

The District’s Educational Foundation’s 8^th annual fun run featured three races: a 5k race on a USTAF Certified Course, a one-mile race and a tot race for the very young.

Complete results from both the 5k race and the mile run are available online.

Proceeds from the race go to the district’s General Fund, which is used to fund grants in support of the district. The foundation will also be sponsoring The Second City improvisation group Saturday, October 15^th at Nazareth Academy.

The 5k had 102 finishers, ranging in age from 6 through 65 years old, and was run through LaGrange Highlands and the Ridgewood subdivision of Western Springs. The race was started by Lou Kafkes, an avid runner and a La Grange Highlands school district parent.

Maggie Mathieson of LaGrange was the top female finisher in the 5k with a time of 21:01, and was second place overall.

The mile race had 89 finishers ranging in age from 5 years old to 53 years old. Because most of the local schools now require the mile as part of the President’s Challenge physical fitness test, many of the runners were trying to see how they measured up for their upcoming test.