With homecoming festivities in full swing, runners stepped to the mark on Wednesday as they began the 39th annual University Mile.
Faculty, students and members of the community were all invited to run and afterward learn about cancer awareness from the ULM College of Pharmacy. All participants also received a custom Adidas University Mile long-sleeve shirt.
Every year, the University Mile encourages the ULM community to get outside and active.
As a long-standing event at the campus, the University Mile has become an important tradition for many Warhawks. One of these annual competitors is senior kinesiology exercise science major Abby Lewis.
“I ran cross-country and track all throughout middle school and high school,” Lewis said. “Even though I’m not nearly as fast as I used to be, I still enjoy running the race with other people, as it keeps me motivated.”
The University Mile has brought fun and friendly competition to the ULM community for many years. For those competing, winners were announced for different categories of ages and involvements.
The top collegiate male winner was Baylor Picard, with a time of 4.54.67. The top collegiate female winner was Riley Hall, with a time of 6.41.59.
First place overall winner, Chief Strategy Officer Seth Hall, finished with a time of 4.47.25. He explained what the University Mile means to him and why he runs every year.
“I love this race because regardless of your ability or fitness, it’s painfully fun for each runner if you run as hard as you can,” Hall said. “It’s also neat because it’s been done for nearly 40 years now, so you can compare your times against any runners of the past.”
After the race, the ULM College of Pharmacy set up a booth to raise awareness for skin cancer and handed out sunscreen packets.
Third-year pharmacy student Kylie Michot explained that it is important to educate students on the dangers of skin cancer and how to limit exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
“This type of education is particularly important to me because my grandma has had melanoma several times,” Michot said. “She grew up not knowing the importance of wearing sunscreen and protecting her skin in other ways like hats and long sleeves.”
The University Mile gives not only students but the whole Monroe community an opportunity to come together and do something to stay active.
