It basically tells them they’re not important enough to officially qualify to get into a good college, or to achieve their goals, simply because an investment has not been made into the sport of running in our community.

Until now.

Run United is a nonprofit organization established this fall to raise funds and awareness about the sport of running. Funds raised through the sale of Run United ball caps, winter hats and stickers all go toward Alpena High School equipment upgrades for cross country and track, such as purchasing warm wear to be used during the colder months underneath the school-issued jersey and shorts. In addition, funding goals include establishing an outdoor water source for the runners, and purchasing a new official time clock system so that home meets can be brought back to Alpena.

“We haven’t had home meets here in years,” said AHS assistant coach Tim Allen.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley These Run United stickers are available for $10 at Cabin Creek Coffee, Cedar and Threads, Chippewa Valley Leather Works, Thunder Bay Fizical and Balance Center, and Connie’s Cafe. All proceeds benefit the Alpena High School cross country and track programs.

Emily Szymanski started Run United this fall, after hearing a lot of people ask, “Why don’t we do something?”

So, she and a group of running-minded community members did.

“We just have stopped asking the question, ‘Why don’t we?’ and turned it into an action,” Szymanski said. “For the kids.”

She said the cross country team wasn’t fully suited up in gear, especially for cold-weather meets.

“They run until it snows,” she said. “They’re a fully outdoor sport. We didn’t have a water source for our kids to drink at, safely, in cross country or in track. Most of our distance kids, if not all, are track runners.”

This year’s team has 31 runners, including boys and girls.

“And these are the only two no-cut sports that we have in Alpena,,” Szymanski explained. “And then, I’ve also been a Girls on the Run coach, and that program was dropped because of funding, through the health department. So, we no longer have a feeder program. Or just a thing for kids to stay active and to be introduced into a sport that doesn’t cost money, is healthy, and can be enjoyed for their entire lifetime.”

She and her whole family are avid runners. Her daughter Madi Szymanski, a senior, just set a school record for the women’s 5K with a time of 18:11 on Oct. 2. Her other daughter Izzy Szymanski runs cross country on the Thunder Bay Junior High team. Her husband and dog run with them, as well.

“We’re a Division I school,” Szymanski noted. “We travel, and we have a big team. Last year, we could barely field a girls varsity team, which is seven runners. They had nine girls … These are great kids. They are high academic achievers, and they’re doing great.”

Run United is about showing the young people that they are working toward important goals, and that the community supports their efforts, Emily Szymanski said.

“If we don’t have the things here to support our kids in the events, we’re not showing them that they are supported,” Emily Szymanski said. “And that’s exactly why we chose the objectives we have. We want to show them that what they do matters. You don’t have to be in a big town, you don’t have to be from a wealthy family. If we can get these things for our kids, then what they’re doing here matters, just as much as what someone’s doing somewhere else.”

Good things are happening here, however.

Recently, two girls and two boys from AHS were named All-Conference: senior Madi Szymanski and sophomore Emma Dickins, and senior Hayden Allen and his brother, Elijah Allen, a junior.

Seniors Hayden Allen and Jacob Kochanski both committed to run for Alpena Community College next year.

This year has been going well for the team, with upcoming underclassmen setting the stage for a promising future as well, according to Allen and head coach Joe Donajkowski.

Regionals is Saturday in Saginaw, and the team is ready to go, the coaches said.

“These kids have continued to surprise us,” Donajkowski said. “We didn’t go into this season with a lot of expectations as a team, because we are in the toughest conference, I think, in the state of Michigan. We’ve got Traverse City Central, Traverse City West, who are always near the top of the Division I teams. And Petoskey is a Division II team, who, both boys and girls, have been ranked really high. The girls were state champions last year. So, with just the six teams in our conference, we’ve got tougher competition than when we go other places.”

When the AHS team competed recently at Michigan State, they placed fourth out of about 40 teams, Donajkowski said.

“Since then, we’ve won a couple of smaller invitationals,” Donajkowski said. “We won down at Bullet Creek … Again, they continue to surprise us.”

Based on predictions and standings, he is hopeful for regionals.

“Anything can happen on any given day,” Donajkowski said. “We’re getting better every week. Somebody’s bumping up … and a lot of the other teams have plateaued. So I think there is a good shot for us to advance.”

“We have a crop of freshmen and sophomores that are starting to put something together,” Allen added.

Donajkowski said of Madi Szymanski, “She smashed the school record this year.”

He added that Dickins, along with the other underclassmen, are proving themselves this year.

“The future is really bright,” Donajkowski said.

The United Way of Northeast Michigan is serving as the fiduciary for Run United — Alpena. Through this partnership, donations are tax-deductible.

To donate, you can send a check to United Way of Northeast Michigan with the memo “Run United,” to 108 Water Street, Alpena MI 49707. Or you can donate online through Harness, designating Run United in the donation comment, at unitedwaynemi.org. You can also purchase a sticker for $10 at the following participating businesses: Cabin Creek Coffee in Alpena, Cedar and Threads in Alpena, Chippewa Valley Leather Works in Alpena, Thunder Bay Fyzical Therapy and Balance Center

in Alpena, and Connie’s Cafe in Ossineke. A good place to put the sticker is on the back of your car so others can see your support. Caps and winter hats are available for $30 at Chippewa Valley Leather Works on 2nd Avenue in downtown Alpena.

“It’s been really good, so far,” said Allen, who owns Chippewa Valley Leather Works with his wife, Meg. “It’s catching on.”

“In a matter of a month, we’ve had 102 people who have joined the group,” Szymanski said of the Facebook group. “So, hopefully, people are spreading the word.”

Run United’s mission statement is to “Unite the running community and our schools through support and development of running teams and programs that promote healthy active lifestyles, enjoyment of the sport and quality competition in our region.”

Some of the major donors who have already hopped on board are The Alpena Boosters Club, LaFarge, Switzer Veterinary Clinic, as well as individual families.

“Our big hope is that eventually we end up getting meet sponsors,” Szymanski said. “So the local companies can support, and they’ll get the tax benefit.”

Szymanski said that running can lay the groundwork for success on many levels.

“My daughter, despite lack of supplies, has had an excellent career, and we have seen how much cross country and track involvement has benefitted her,” she said. “And we want to give back and continue that, so it’s not just about us. It’s about continuing with the future, and leaving a legacy from something that we feel like we’ve benefitted from, for our family.”

Allen added that running is a lifelong sport that he and many others have enjoyed all their lives.

“We’re starting to see a mesh and a bond of the running community in Alpena,” Allen said. “We want the rest of the people in Alpena to know how many good runners have come from this area, how many good runners are still here, and that we just want to continue to grow.”

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