by Caciques True and Christie

This morning under the dark sky the entire Island School community convened at the flag pole at 5 am in preparation for the Half Marathon. Everyone was very excited and anticipating the run, whether they were actually running or just on support.  No one seemed to mind the early wake up time. After all of the support crews drove to their designated areas along the course, the sound of the air horn coming from the girls dorm deck set the runners out to a bolting start. As the runners passed by each cheering station, they were greeted with music, encouragement, Island School Gatorade, water, and sometimes, watermelon. At the halfway point in Deep Creek near the Mt. Zion church, everyone was feeling great. The next half of the run was a challenge, but when each runner touched the flagpole and finished, they found the pain they pushed through in the run was definitely worth it. One of the best things about running a half marathon here at  The Island School is that everyone on run track and swim track is so supportive of you throughout your journey. At the turn around point, we knew we could make it another six and half miles because we had the swim track students running alongside of us for part of the way, keeping our spirits high. All of the runners trained hard all semester to have this accomplishment, and they felt great about it. Most people spent the rest of the day relaxing in their dorms, on the beach, or in the coffee shop, and by the time lights out came around, we were all grateful to have a good night’s rest.