ABOVE: From left to right, Braelynn Bovy, Qwynn Healey, Jaycie Grensteiner, Lila Klunder, Julia Reyelts and Hannah Kate Larson participate in warmups at Jr. Cardinal cross-country practice earlier this week. Sumbitted photo.

FAIRMONT – The Fairmont Jr. Cardinals cross-country program, partnered with Fairmont Community Education and Recreation, has entered its second year of promoting and introducing the sport to fourth- through sixth-graders by adding games and fun to their one mile runs.

Hosting 26 runners this year, the interest in the program has grown.

The program was created by Crystal and Neil Hanson to provide an opportunity for younger kids to engage in the sport that they have had a lifelong love for. Neil Hanson still holds the one- and two-mile records at Fairmont High School 25 years after he graduated.

“We just really wanted to find a way to introduce younger kids to cross-country. We don’t have anything like that in our area,” Crystal Hanson said. “Cross-country has just been a big part of our life, and all three of our kids are in the high school program. We wanted to find a way to change that and give that opportunity to kids and have a way they can get introduced to it.”

The partnership with the CER has been crucial to the success of the program. They have been handling the registration and promotion of the program.

“I don’t think we could have done it without them because that’s been a really nice

partnership to have with them,” Crystal Hanson said.

The idea for the program came from two of the Hansons’ friends who run a similar program.

“Two of our really good friends in the Twin Cities run a program like this up there,” Crystal Hanson said. “So, we were able to learn from them on how they structure it, and what’s worked. So we didn’t have to reinvent the wheel.”

Cross-country is often not available to students up until they reach seventh grade and this has an impact on participation in the sport itself. This program intends to change that and help with the mental blocks of joining by making it fun for the kids through incorporating games into the runs.

“It’s not always about trying to be the best runner out there,” Crystal Hanson said. “Regardless of their ability level, we want them to strive to be the best version of themselves and to battle that little voice inside of them that wants them to stop. We try to encourage kids to change that negative self-talk that can creep in as their mind will shut them down well before their bodies will. If they can change that self-talk from can’t to can, they’ll put themselves in the best position for success. Watching that happen is probably my favorite thing about this sport.”

The Hansons are hoping that the program will act as a sort of pipeline to the high school program. Hoping to help the sport grow further and bring more athletes to the sport that may have otherwise overlooked cross-country as it is not often offered early as many other sports.

“Ultimately, we hope we’ve opened the eyes to the sport for kids and that more of them will consider joining the high school cross-country team when they get to be seventh-graders,” Crystal Hanson said. “Even if they don’t, we hope they can take something positive that they learned from our program that will make them stronger and better prepared for their other sports.

“At the end of the day, we want to see kids live an active lifestyle and to keep challenging themselves, that’s the only way we grow and get better. Lots of lessons in life to gain from distance running and not taking the easy way out.”

Their first race is set to be held at the Fairmont High School practice field at 9:30 a.m. prior to the high school cross-country meet.