Mollie Kuhar (left), a senior at Lake-Lehman, and her father Chris. Kuhar has organized the first Kids Fun Run, set to run Saturday from Lake Noxen Elementary School, as her Senior Project. Courtesy of Chris Kuhar The second annual Back Mountain Triathlon steps off from the shores of Harveys Lake on Sunday morning — but the weekend fun is going to begin even before the competitors hit the water to start their race.
New to the festivities this year is the inaugural Kids Fun Run, where some prospective future triathletes aged 14 and under could test their endurance and speed in a prelude to the actual triathlon.
The Fun Run is set for Saturday, the day before the Back Mountain Triathlon, starting at 1 p.m. at Lake Noxen Elementary School.
The new feature is the brainchild of Lake-Lehman senior Mollie Kuhar, who has been hard at work organizing and setting up the Fun Run as her high school senior project.
“So much has gone into preparing for this, and I’ve enjoyed every part,” Kuhar said. “It means a lot to me.”
Kuhar’s no stranger to the triathlon scene: her father, Chris Kuhar, is a longtime competitor himself, both in the old Wilkes-Barre Triathlon and now in the Back Mountain Triathlon, which debuted in the community last year.
“My father has been competing his entire life,” she said. “I’ve grown up going to these races.”
Kuhar landed on her project idea back in May, and since then she’s been hard at work getting everything ready for Saturday.
The Fun Run will begin and end at Lake Noxen Elementary School, with competitors grouped into brackets based on age. The course will lead runners across Westpoint Avenue, down around the Little League field and back to the school.
For runners aged 6-8, the race will be one lap, o.5 miles. The 9-11 age bracket will run two laps, and 12-to-14-year-olds will go for three laps, completing 1.5 miles before the finish.
It might not be the daunting task of completing three triathlon legs, but the Fun Run will be a nice way to get some young runners out and about, instilling a sense of competition and highlighting the importance of physical fitness.
These things aren’t lost on Kuhar, a three-sport athlete herself.
“I’ve always loved sports, I love people’s passion for them,” Kuhar said. “I think it’s important for kids to get out there.”
Kuhar mentioned that she will be overseeing a bake sale for the Fun Run and also selling T-shirts. It’s been a long run of hard work for the senior, getting involved and active in many different ways to make sure this event goes smoothly.
One individual who’s taken note of all that hard work: Mollie’s father, Chris.
“She’s been going to committee meetings, she’s been calling businesses,” Chris Kuhar said. “I’m very proud of her for taking the initiative.”
There’s a charitable component to Saturday’s Fun Run, as well: all proceeds generated from the event will be donated to the Luzerne County Children’s Advocacy Center.
Mollie Kuhar always had designs on turning the Fun Run into a fundraiser, and said she landed on the Children’s Advocacy Center as her cause back in July.
“This is a kids event after all, I want to give back to the kids,” she said. “And it’s all local, I want everything to stay local.”
Mollie Kuhar’s weekend won’t be over when the last kid crosses the Fun Run finish line. Come Sunday, when triathletes converge on the start line at Sandy Beach, she’ll be doing what she can to help out.
Though she’s not competing in the triathlon herself, Kuhar said she’s got designs on competing in future triathlons, whether they’re right at home in the Back Mountain or anywhere else around the region.
Just being a part of the scene on Sunday makes it worth it for her.
“I love the environment at these races,” she said. “To see the look on the competitors’ faces as they cross the finish line, all they’ve accomplished … it’s priceless.”
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