Running Man scheduled Oct. 29
By Sam Waller
The Feed Store will once again conduct “the ultimate hide-n-seek game” with the 26th Running Man event for youth.
The activities begin at 9:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29 at The Feed Store with teams of runners expected to start the competition by 10:00 p.m.
“There will be a speaker, and then we’ll go over all the rules,” Feed Store director Tisha Wilkins said.
Jamey Calvary of Abilene will address the participants before they are taken to their starting points.
Runners must make their way from various dropoff points through the streets and alleys of Albany back to The Feed Store without being detected by spotlighters.
Teams are set by grade level with seventh grade through high school seniors taking part. Wilkins said students from Albany and Moran are eligible to compete, but varsity athletes are not allowed.
The team that has the largest percentage of members return undetected will be declared the winners.
All junior high and high school students must have permission slips signed by parents before being allowed to run.
“Regardless of their age, even if they’re 18, I still want a parent to sign that permission slip,” Wilkins said. “Forms are available at the high school in the entry way and here at The Feed Store.”
Forms will also be available at The Feed Store the night of the event, allowing runners to sign up until the time the event begins.
“Parents will need to come with them,” Wilkins said. “We still want that parent signature.”
Wilkins said college students who are Albany graduates are allowed to participate, as well.
“We’ll have college kids as leaders for some of the grade levels,” she said.
Running Man began in 1997 as an alternative to less-desirable Halloween activities and has become a local tradition.
“The Impact group started it many years ago, then it moved to being a Feed Store event, and we’ve kept it going,” Wilkins said. “It’s an alternative event for youth to do at Halloween.”
Runners try to avoid 10 official spotlighters in the trek to return to The Feed Store.
“People have already started to call and sign up to be spotlighters, but we do still have spots available,” Wilkins said. “The police and sheriff’s office will have lists of the official spotlighters, and there are certain special requirements the spotlighters will be given that night to make it known that they’re official.”
She said that “fake” spotlighters run the risk of being stopped and getting in trouble, adding that bogus spotlighters have been a problem in the past.
“People who are not official shine their spotlights on participants, and they quit because they think they’ve been caught,” she said. “It’s just not fair to the runners.”
Volunteers are asked to contact Wilkins in advance at 325-660-7443 to sign up.
“It takes lots of people to put this on and I’m very thankful for all those who volunteer,” Wilkins said. “There are lots of things to do, from registering runners to setting up for snacks and the food that we have afterwards.”
