By: Tanvi Ambekar

Opinion Editor

As the school year draws to a close, the LGHS’s freshmen class embarked on what many upperclassmen deem the most exciting yet dreaded event of the year: the Freshman Fun Run (FFR).

The FFR is a yearly event held by the LGHS Health & Fitness Department, spearheaded by Shannon Minyard, the department’s chair. LGHS requires freshmen to take Health & Fitness, which includes units on swimming, health education, and running. This unit lasts until the end of year and culminates in the FFR, a five-mile run spanning the best of Los Gatos’s hiking trails. The FFR course begins at the LGHS track’s starting line and continues off campus via the fire road onto the Los Gatos Creek Trail. From there, students run along the right side of the LG Creek Trail up to the Lexington Dam and then to St. Joseph’s Hill, which connects to the Jones Trail that leads students past a meadow and back to campus.

            The freshman had been hard at work since March, doing both strength training and conditioning to prepare for the event. As freshman Miriam Berenbaum elaborated, “We’ve started going off campus recently, and we’re slowly building up more and more distance in shorter amounts of time.” She pointed out that because the buildup was intentionally slow, it was important not to miss a day. Each day marked a small milestone, so if students missed too many days, their first run after returning was extremely difficult. 

         Regardless of this, many kids found joy in the training process. Freshman Elior Reiner admitted that “just being able to hang out with friends where we live and stuff outside the school” made the training worth it. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s kind of rewarding,” he said with a smile. Reiner added that “Once you finish it, [it’s nice] to see how far you’ve gone.” Although the off campus runs were long, usually between two and four miles, their routes included the scenic portions of the LG Creek Trail and St. Joseph’s Hill. Additionally, Freshman Blythe Gabriel recalled that “running with my friends improves the experience overall” because she could feel the improvement as the weeks continued. Although “it gets kind of difficult when it’s hot and humid,” the FFR is a way to measure success and enjoy with friends. 

Another exciting aspect of the event was the team themes. Students got to choose their groups, a costume, and team name for the day of the FFR. When asked about her favorite part of the prep, freshman Isabelle Chan acknowledged that planning costumes has been the best part: she and her friends dressed up as minions. The team costumes, while usually minimalistic, help make the tiring event more enjoyable for excited students. 

In the words of sophomore Ada Dawson, “[Freshmen] should just enjoy the Fun Run because it’s a memorable experience. When you look back in a few years to 9th grade PE, this is what you’ll remember.” Every year the FFR is an unforgettable part of the freshman experience, and no matter how challenging it may be, it inspires the next year’s students to face it head on.