Challenge winners to be announced April 20

The Get Fit Stay Fit Challenge hosted by Sidney Regional Medical Center representatives and Cheyenne County Community Center employees has almost run its course, and the winners will be announced at the Cheyenne County Health and Wellness Fair on April 20.

The most recent race of the challenge was the Leprechaun Leap Race held on March 16. The race generated 80 participants and two of the coordinators of the challenge, Ashley Houtwed, the director of nutrition services at Sidney Regional Medical Center, and Kiersten Richards, the Cheyenne County Community Center Activities Director, said that the race was a success.

“We had a great turnout for the race and pretty good weather, and even though the last mile is uphill and hard, everyone seemed to have good finishing times and a fun time doing it!” said Houtwed.

“It was fun,” said Richards. “We had a lot of competitive runners show up and I think the Hillside after party helped out a lot because a lot of people stayed after and celebrated St. Patty’s Day with us.”

The race started in the parking lot at the Hillside Golf Course and the 10K race path went out via the trail to the soccer fields and back, while the 5K loop went down the golf course, followed the trail by residential areas, and made its way back, according to Richards.

The next race starts at 8:30 a.m. April 6, with pre-registration starting at 8 a.m., at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds.

“It will have obstacles,” said Richards. “They are fun obstacles but obstacles that pretty much anyone can do. They don’t get disqualified if they don’t do them, they just aren’t eligible for first place.”

“The next race will be a lot of fun and just a little more challenging with the obstacles so I am excited for it,” said Houtwed. “The obstacles are easy things anyone can do, but it breaks up the running a little and makes it just a little harder. Most participants from the past enjoyed the obstacles and just liked it because it adds a little fun to the race.”

Richards said that although the design team is not sure what all the obstacles will be yet, so far the challenging items are tires, a snake pit (which she creates every year), hay bales and running through a field.

“We are excited about this one and we are going to try and have more obstacles this race then we have in the past years,” said Richards.

The race will end back at the fairgrounds.

The activities director said that the race is approximately the distance of a 5K but with the obstacles it might make the race a little more or less of that distance for participants.

Participants must register for the race by this Friday to guarantee themselves a t-shirt for the race. If they are already pre-registered as part of the challenge however, “they are good to go,” she said.

To register, forms can be found at the community center, which is where the forms are also to be returned to by Friday. Those that are interested and have questions can call the center at 254-7000.

Medals will be given to the first place male and female race winners.

“The race is open to anyone, not just challenge participants. The more the merrier; it’s a fun race,” said Richards.

Both Houtwed and Richards said that the weekly nutrition and fitness emails still go out to every participant, and that the challenge is going great.

“I think people are a little more excited this year because we have it split between male and female competitions,” said Richards.

“The last weigh-in was March 6 and we had 29 people weigh in,” said Houtwed. “The highest percentage of weight lost so far has been 11.63 percent, and with the 29 people that weighed in there has been a total of 273 pounds lost since January 9.”

The next and final weigh-in will be April 17 from 6-8 a.m. or from 5-7 p.m. at the community center, said Houtwed.

“They have to come to the final weigh-in to be eligible for the final prizes,” said Richards.

An additional race called the Polar Bear Thaw will take place May 4 to make up for the cancelation of the Polar Bear Run in January. An after party will ensue at Hillside Golf Course following the event.

“I think the challenge is going well,” said Houtwed. “Everyone that has weighed in has had great results and are sticking with it. I’m very excited to see the final weigh-ins and results because I have seen people working out hard at the gym and they are doing fantastic.”