Written By: Kayla Stroud

The 9^th Annual Blazer Dash was quite the event. Over a hundred participants showed up in hopes of being the first to cross the finish line.

VSU’s Campus Recreation and Campus Wellness hosted the event, promoting healthy living and community building. The race began in front of the Student Recreational Center on a sunny, humid morning; excitement was abundant.

Participants had various reasons for taking part in the race. The event brought in people from different walks of life trying to get better no matter what it may have been. Some sought out to concur personal goals, while others raced for fitness and health.

After being named the overall male winner of the race, Shaundon Moore, a 20-year-old biology major, said that it felt “Quite freaking awesome.”

Moore just recently became interested marathons after losing weight. “Me and my girlfriend, we just started exercising our freshman year together and then by the end of the year, I was like, I want to do a 5K!”

“I did last year’s 5K for the first time,” said Moore. “I did pretty good and [afterwards] I was like, I love running now.”

Written By: Kayla Stroud

The win marks an achievement that Moore set out for himself. He says that this is only his third race.

Many racers also enjoyed that the marathon brought the community together. Some brought their children along for a fun, relaxed outing with the family. The event created a great atmosphere for what could have been a dreary morning.

Pollyanna Bass, fellow racer, also spoke on why she took part in the race.

“We always support the community and do local ones,” said Bass. “The people here, they’re like your friends. Runners are like the nicest people.”

Bass says that she felt that the race had a challenging course but she still enjoyed participating because of their obvious incentives, “Fitness. I’m 42 now, so I have to get in good health.”

The race went off without a hitch. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves basking in the warm energy that the event exuded. Here’s to next year’s race being even better than the last.

The race ended with an award ceremony, crowning the participants for their hard work and effort.