With the May Day 5K at Main Beach in East Hampton Village coming up, the Bonac Bolts were hard at work on the last Sunday of spring break, getting ready to race. The free youth track program meets at the East Hampton High School track on Sundays from 1 to 2 p.m., led by Chase Bohnsack and Jasper Samuelson, who are both varsity runners. The Bolts range in age from second through sixth graders, with varying running experience, but plenty of enthusiasm. “My favorite thing is to sprint because I slay at it,” said Lucia Limonius, 10, a student at John M. Marshall Elementary.
The group first met on March 29 and has been working their way up from short sprints to longer distances. “Week by week we try to do more distance,” Bohnsack said. “Last week we did 100s. This week we did 150s. We always want to have a break as well in between, to get them going and then reset. We also play some fun games.”
Fishy Fishy was the featured game on April 12. The kids tried to run from one designated area to another without getting tagged. While they thought they were just having fun, Bohnsack used the game to help them build their speed and agility — and it worked. “They were pretty fast,” Bohnsack said. “A lot of energy today, which was good.”
A lot of energy was an understatement. Even though it was the last day of a school vacation, more than 25 students came out, screaming with laughter and running all over the track. When school is in session, as many as 75 kids have shown up for the Bonac Bolts program, which Liam Fowkes and Rylan Cashin started three years ago. The kids are encouraged to simply give running a try, though many of them are returning athletes who have already participated in local races.
“I like distance,” said Sadie Weil, a fifth grader at John Marshall. “I’ve done 5Ks and I like miles.”
Whatever their level of experience, Bohnsack said he’s seeing significant progress week to week. “Definitely with the stamina and the speed. It all comes together at the end.”
The Bonac Bolts will meet at the high school track for the last time on Sunday from 1 to 2 p.m. before participating in the May Day 5k run/walk at Main Beach on May 3 at 9 a.m. Even those who haven’t been to a previous Sunday session can attend this week.
Entry in the May Day race costs $33.80 in advance, and $38.98 on race day, fees included. The race kicks off Mental Health Awareness Month with proceeds benefitting the Tyler Project. Registration is at mayday5k.com.