Ready to Run at the Royal Oak Cross Country Alumni Fun Run?

Get ready to lace up your sneakers so you can help support the Royal Oak High School cross country team during the Third Annual Alumni Run.

"All are welcome, but we especially look forward to seeing past runners from Royal Oak High, Dondero, and Kimball,"

The flat 2 mile cross country fun run will start at 7 p.m. at with refreshments afterward for alums to share stories of past glory days.

One alumnus you are sure to see is , class of 1992, who ran at Kimball.

"We've had some great teams since the schools combined in 2006 and we saw this as a way to build tradition," Barnett said. "The idea was to keep it very simple and hope that each year it would grow and bring back more and more runners from the past."

Eric Sturm - a 4-year member of the Kimball track and cross country programs back in the '80's - is expected to run at the event.  Sturm was also an assistant cross country coach, athletic director, and assistant principal at Kimball. He is currently the principal of the Macomb International Academy.

"He has come to every alumni run," said . "He was also my track and cross country coach at Trenton High, and helped me get my foot in the door in Royal Oak!"

The winner of last year's fun run was Joe Banyai, Royal Oak High School class of 2008. Banyai holds the school's cross country record (15:48) and runs the 800m for the Michigan State Spartans. Banyai says he'll be back and is hoping to see more of his fellow classmates this year. 

"I felt in better shape last year," Banyai said. "I'm not as ready this time but it's cool because it's a community event."

If you can't keep up with Banyai and his buddies, don't fret. 

"We made the race 2 miles - as opposed to the standard cross country 5k - to make it a bit less intimidating for anyone who may not run as much as they used to," Barnett said. "We hope to bring back as many alumni as possible, but also welcome anyone from the community."  

One such community member to run last year was Superintendent Shawn Lewis-Lakin.

"I participated and it was a great experience," Lewis-Lakin said. "I am working to clear a calendar conflict I currently have, and I do hope to be able to run again next week."

, reminds the community the fun run is not about speed, but about supporting students athletes.  

"I did not compete in cross country or track in high school, so this is a chance for me to step back in time to experience what I missed!" he said.

The race is free of charge, though donations will be accepted to help defray the costs of meet entry and equipment costs for the ROHS cross country and track teams.

If you go

• Type of event: 2 mile cross country fun run
• When: 7 p.m. Aug. 16
• Where: South end of (adjacent to )
• Event fees: Donations to the ROHS cross country programs will be accepted
• Parking: There is a parking lot off of Lexington, near both the start and finish lines