Superintendent Stubblefield races students for fun and fitness

Runners crossed Leavenworth Road and headed into the Washington High School stadium near the end of the Are You Faster than a Fifth Grader two-mile run on Friday. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

The Kansas City, Kansas, school district’s annual Are You Faster than a 5th Grader race took place Friday morning.

“Everybody does their best to whoop our superintendent,” is how the event was described by Tom Lawlor, music teacher at Eugene Ware Elementary.

Four hundred fifth-graders took superintendent Anna Stubblefield’s challenge to run or walk two miles from Kansas City Kansas Community College to Washington High School, and 201 beat the superintendent to the finish line on the Washington track.

Two of Lawlor’s students, Ximena and Angie, were among the top 15 girls’ finishers. After the race, they talked about how much training they had to do to get ready.

“We had to stretch and practice a lot,” Ximena said. “Two times a week and then this week we practiced four days a week.”

Many participants were new to running, but found they enjoyed it.

“This is my first race,” Angie said, “I guess I’m going to take track now.”