Thousands of youth ‘put forth their best’ at Indoor Games in Edmonton

Thousands of students hit the track on Friday for the 45th Running Room Indoor Games.

Five thousand students from 200 northern Alberta communities were in Edmonton on Friday to run their way to a win.

• Get the latest Edmonton updates right to your inbox

The 45th-annual Running Room Indoor Games kicked off at the Butterdome on Thursday. It’s a community track and field event aimed at youth from grades three to 12.

“It means a lot, because we have a pretty tough winter environment here, and these are 5,000 kids that get a lot of extra exercise, running practice, coaching and a chance to compete here in a beautiful university facility,” said Irv Barros, meet director for the games.

Sherri Cooney, head coach at Michael A. Kostek School, brought 39 students to compete. She said the school has participated in the games for more than a decade and students are always “pumped” to attend.

“They just are excited from the moment they get on the team to the moment that we get here in the building,” Cooney said. “They’re cheering each other on, they’re giving high fives. They’re always trying to put forth their best.”

Races include 200- and 800-metre individual events, as well as a 200-metre relay and a long-jump for junior high kids. Barros said the games are a great jumping-off point for future athletes.

“Many of them join track clubs after they’ve had this experience,” he said. “I’ve watched some of our athletes who started here running the world championships.”

The finals will be held on March 8. The event is free to attend.

More information can be found on the Indoor Games website.