The best thing I saw all weekend, maybe the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long, long time, took place on Saturday afternoon at the Georgian Bay Secondary School Athletic Field in Meaford.
The Meaford Coyotes were conducting a fabulous day of cross country races for elementary school aged runners.
The weather cooperated and the first 7 races of the day went off smoothly.
The 8th and final race of the day was the Grade 7 & 8 Boys competition, and this one was different…..Special.
The bulk of the field started as a unit, raced out of the chute, onto the football field, weaved their way into the wooded area and then headed back to the start line for the first of three circuits on a 3 kilometre course.
Meanwhile, one competitor; Morgan Elliot, a Grade 7 student at Dundalk Proton-Highpoint, started his race on the track, and would do his first 2800 metres by completing 7 laps in his wheelchair before being assisted by Curtis Coyne as they came up the grass to the finish line.
When Morgan concluded his first lap, a gauntlet of spectators lined the top east end of the track to offer encouragement.
As Morgan continued to circle the track, the size of that gauntlet, and the noise they made, grew.
When the Grade 7 & 8 boys finished their 3k, it seemed the whole place was at the edge of track cheering Morgan Elliot on.
Later, no longer wanting to simply stand and wait, about 30 youngsters and adults decided to walk & jog behind Morgan as he did his remaining laps and then, as a group, they all followed Morgan onto the grass & up the chute towards the finish line.
The 3rd annual Coyote race was a smashing success with more than 300 participants, but there’s no question in my mind that Morgan Elliot of Dundalk-Proton Highpoint made the biggest impression by far.
I’m Fred Wallace