Century High Ladies Bring Sunshine To A Soggy Bismarck Marathon

The running of the Bismarck Marathon brought steady rain and drizzle, but it didn't dampen the spirits of those that ran, AND....

....the awesome volunteers that showed up, offering water, encouragement, and more than enough warm smiles, I was there at the 10-mile mark, along with our station's vehicle - my sole contribution was blaring some music from the All-New 96.5 The Walleye. What a fun early morning it was, mostly in part to a few of the members of the Century High girl's swim and dive team. Ava Erickson, Lauryn Caster, Aubrey Caster, Mady Tivis, Sady Nelson, and Kylie Duchsherer - these 6 spark plugs had so much energy, they could have easily run the full 26.2 miles themselves.

Their job was simple, to hand out water to those that wanted it

This is a crucial part of any race, whether it's 85 degrees and sunny OR wet, rainy conditions, the runners know they must stay hydrated. Here is where the girls went beyond their duties - EVERY single man or woman that came by was fueled with HUGE happy upbeat faces and words of support, that radiated through to each person and I can't even tell you how much that lifts one's spirits - the 10-mile mark is when your body starts to ache, and your mind says "Hey, I have 16 miles more to go" Think about that for a second. These girls had other members of their team at other parts of the course, the weather was damp and borderline cold, but you wouldn't know it judging by the Patriots swimmers. Check out a quick glimpse of how it looked out there:

Bromo

The girls were just a few of the many people that gave their time to offer their help, and support in the event - this is what makes the Bismarck Marathon so successful

I was so impressed by how engaging, charming, and polite these young ladies were - watching them work together and laugh with each other was a real treat - each one of them told me how much time they spend in the pool and outside of school - they are each other's best friend, and judging by the instant connection each runner felt as they continued on with their race, they were grateful Century High was there!