WOOD RIVER – The Alton Road Runners Club brought another successful Summer Running Series – the 20th edition this year – to an end Sunday evening with the annual Dash-N-Splash running event and pool party at East Alton-Wood River High School's Memorial Stadium track and The Aquatic Center, located across the street from Memorial Stadium and the high school.

The series consists of three events aimed primarily at children – the Alton Memorial Hospital Family Run, the Hit-N-Run Pee-Wee Run and Sunday's Dash-N-Splash event. The Family Run is a run performed mostly on grass, much like a cross-country race, the Pee-Wee Run (held at Gordon Moore Park in Alton) takes place on a road like a road race and the Dash-N-Splash running part takes place on a track, much like the events of a track meet.

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Sunday's runs were quarter-mile runs (one lap) for those under 6 years of age, a half-mile run (two laps) for those aged 7-14 and a mile run (four laps) for all participants aged 15 and over; those who took part in all three Summer Running Series events were awarded medals for their participation in the series after the non-competitive runs were finished. A swimming party was held at The Aquatic Center following the run; hot dogs and soft drinks were available to all participants during the event.

“People look forward to this one,” said Road Runners Club president Russ Colona, “getting a hot dog and a drink and then going to the pool. It's a good one. We've got a really good crowd today; we had about 160 for the Pee-Wee Run and I think we're pretty close to that today.”

The series gives a chance for all participants to discover the fun of running as well. “It's a traditional thing for a lot of people,” Colona said. “We see the same names come here year in and year out; they start at Pee-Wees and a lot of them are bringing their kids now.

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“It's good for the community; that's what we're all about, to give back to the community for the kids and their families.”

The Road Runners Club still has their 57th Great River Road Run, a 10-mile run and a two-mile run/walk, scheduled for Nov. 26, and the club's annual Runner of the Year Banquet for area high school cross-country runners coming in December. For more information on the Road Runners Club or their upcoming events, visit www.altonroadrunners.com.

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