5K Road Race to Honor St. Peter- Marian’s Kevin Kirk

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Friday, November 28, 2014

Patrick Sargent, GoLocal Worcester Contributor

On Saturday, St.Peter-Marian High School will host it's First Annual Kevin Kirk 5K Memorial Road Race in memory of former teacher Kevin Kirk. A teacher at SPM for 38 years, Kirk passed away in June after a long and courageous battle with cancer. At SPM, Kirk taught English and coached Cross Country.

"Mr. Kirk was a dedicated teacher, coach, mentor and friend. Every kid wanted to have him in class and he was the best coach. At the heart of his program and still at the heart of the program today is sportsmanship, and discipline. He believed in his athletes no matter if they were the top runner or last in the pack," said Julie Kreuz, Director of Admissions and Advancement at SPM.

A video tribute of Mr. Kirk can be seen here. The race was established back in July with the help of SPM administration. The committee is made up of his friends and family. All donations go directly to help the students at SPM and to the Kevin Kirk Memorial Fund. "He loved and believed strongly in SPM, it's teachers, and the education it provided for his students, so he wanted to establish a scholarship in his name for students at SPM," said Kreuz. 

Kreuz said, "He had strong faith and deep connection with his Irish heritage. Some of the famous sayings for his teams were 'Slay the Dragon' and 'the Craic is Mighty.'" Craic, is a Gaelic word for good conversation and friendship.

Just under 300 pre-registered runners will be in attendance. The race organizers expect closer to 350 with SPM Alumni home for the Thanksgiving holiday.

"It will be an emotional, but wonderful tribute to a man we are all better to have had in our lives," said Kreuz. 

Here are the Race Details Provided by St. Peter-Marian:

What: 5K Road Race and Kids Fun Run
When: Saturday, November 29
5K Race - 12 noon start. 
Kids Fun Run – 11:30 am start.
Where: The 5K course will start on Grove Street at St. Peter-Marian and will run through Assumption College (via Nelson Place Drive) and finish at the St. Peter-Marian campus
How: Registration forms are available online at www.spmguardians.org
Why: All proceeds will go directly to the Kevin Kirk Memorial Scholarship Fund 

Entry Fee: Pre-registration $30
Day of registration $35
Student fee $20 (must present a valid student ID)
Student Day of $25
Kids Fun Run $10
Amenities: An event T-shirt will be given to the first 500 participants. T-shirt size is subject to availability. Participants that arrive early to the onsite registration will have the best opportunity to secure their preferred size.

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