OWENSBORO, KY — Yellow Creek Park was full of young runners Tuesday as the East Daviess County Racing Series opened its September schedule with approximately 345 elementary school runners taking part in the first of four races.

Hosted by the College View Middle School Cross Country Team, the annual series brings elementary runners together every Tuesday throughout September for a 1,100-meter race. The event gives young athletes an opportunity to experience cross country in a fun, competitive environment while also supporting the College View cross country program.

And judging by Tuesday’s turnout, there is plenty of interest.

Around 32 teams were represented across the four divisions: K-2 Girls, K-2 Boys, 3-5 Girls and 3-5 Boys.

The upper-80s temperatures didn’t keep the runners away. Families, coaches and volunteers filled the park, creating an energetic atmosphere as the young runners made their way around the course and toward the finish line.

One of the things that makes the series special is the involvement of the College View middle school runners.

CVMS cross country athletes ran alongside the elementary runners throughout the races — some helping lead the groups, others staying in the middle and others making sure runners toward the back had encouragement along the way.

It wasn’t simply about racing.

It was about helping younger runners experience what cross country can be.

“It’s a great way to get kids into running,” College View Middle School cross country coach Wes McDonald said.

The support continued beyond the course. College View parents helped operate the registration booths and worked at the finish line, where runners were greeted with awards and encouragement.

The series also introduced racing bibs for the first time this year. Each runner receives a bib after registering and can use that same bib throughout the September series, allowing organizers to track individual times from race to race.

The top 10 finishers in each race received a ribbon, while every runner received a Texas Roadhouse free-meal gift card.

Kona Ice was also on hand Tuesday, giving runners and families the opportunity to cool down with a snow cone after the races.

The first race also produced plenty of strong performances.

In the K-2 Girls race, Adeline Boles of GCA finished first in 5:14.40, followed by Londyn Rafferty of Heritage Christian and Lydia Cunningham of Owensboro Catholic.

Gabriel Knott of Deer Park Elementary won the K-2 Boys race in 5:01.33, with Zade Maddox of Country Heights and Owensboro Catholic’s Patrick Thompson rounding out the top three.

Allie Davis of Luce Elementary led the 3-5 Girls race in 4:20.53. Bailee Monar of Rockport Elementary finished second, while Rebecca Boswell of Country Heights was third.

The 3-5 Boys race was led by Owensboro Catholic’s Billy Luke Isenbarger, who crossed the finish line in 4:15.73. Jacob Thompson and Reece Kamuf, also from Owensboro Catholic, finished second and third.

Owensboro Catholic also posted team victories in both 3-5 divisions, while St. Mary’s won the K-2 Girls team competition and Whitesville Elementary took the K-2 Boys team title.

But the biggest victory Tuesday may have been seeing hundreds of elementary-age children line up to run.

For some, it was another race. For others, it may have been their first experience with organized distance running.

Either way, the East Daviess County Racing Series is giving local elementary runners a chance to compete, meet other young athletes and — perhaps most importantly — discover that running can be fun.

And there’s still plenty of September left.

The racing series returns to Yellow Creek Park next Tuesday, giving even more young runners a chance to join the field.