Campus Meets Chancellor’s 5K Challenge

By Ioana Patringenaru I October 24, 2005

Chancellor Marye Anne Fox addresses runners and walkers on Friday. She will personally donate $5000 for the event after more than 1500 people met her challenge to register for the event. Photo: Kevin Walsh

Many came to support a good cause. Some just wanted to exercise. But they all applauded when Chancellor Marye Anne Fox announced that she would donate $5000 to scholarships after more than 1500 people registered for this year’s Chancellor’s Challenge 5K Run/Walk for Scholars.

Fox had pledged to personally donate $5,000 to scholarships if more than 1500 people registered for the event, up from 1395 last year. In addition, for every $50,000 raised, Fox pledged $10,000 from the Chancellor’s Associates Fund, up to $40,000.

This year’s event kicked off around noon Friday, with hundreds of runners winding their way through campus in spite of the cool weather. The race is expected to raise more than $250,000, an all-time record. The event, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has raised more than $1.25 million to support more than 550 UCSD undergraduates.

“This is one of UCSD’s greatest traditions,” Fox told participants before giving the start signal for the race.

Brett Wellington (left) and Dan Reeves from Academic Affairs, are getting ready to eat after taking part in the race.

In all, 1527 runners and walkers had registered for the event. Dan Reeves, a staff member in Academic Affairs, said he had joined the race for the first time to support a good cause.

“We wanted to support undergraduate education,” Reeves said, while waiting for the beginning of the race with colleague Brett Wellington and Assistant Vice Chancellor Debbie McGraw.

Not much later, Hector Hernandez was the first to cross the finish line. He didn’t fall short of his nickname, “Flecha,” which means arrow in Spanish, finishing the race in just 15 minutes and 15 seconds.

Hector "Flecha" Hernandez won the race. He coaches the cross-country and track teams at Southwestern College and Castle Park High School in Chula Vista.

“I did it for my athletes and for a good cause,” said Hernandez, who coaches the cross-country and track teams at Southwestern College and Castle Park High School in Chula Vista. He dedicated his race to Ryan Becijos, one of his former students at Chula Vista’s Bonita Vista High School who is now at UCSD.

After the race, hundreds lined up for sandwiches, chips, cereal bars, fruits and cookies.

Student Kristi Tsukida said she took part in the race to get some exercise. “It just seemed like fun,” the electrical engineering senior said.

Jeritt Balancier, 16, said he hoped to one day get money from the race’s scholarship fund. He is a sophomore at Preuss School, a college prep charter school for low income students located on UCSD’s campus.

Around 1:15 p.m., Chancellor Fox was able to announce that her challenge had been met. She also announced that UCSD alumnus Michael Robertson ’80, founder of MP3.com and Lindows, would donate $7000 to the scholarship fund. That’s $25 for each of the 280 people who beat him in the race.

Fox also announced that students would get a barbecue after more than 600 registered for the event. Students would have had to wash the Chancellor’s car if they had fallen short of that goal. She joked she now would have to go around driving a dirty car.