“This meet has been around for a long time,” said Amy Millar, head coach for the Mustangs.
Millar has been head coach for the past eight years after being recruited by a former coach, and has competed in the Challenge many times herself.
“I’ve been coming to (the Challenge) since I was 12. My sister asked me if they were still serving those hamburgers that they had way back when,” Millar laughed.
The Challenge has been happening every year for the past 20 years and first started in the ’90s, when the track at Fowler Athletic Park was made of black rubber asphalt and hamburgers were still on the menu.
Although you can’t get hamburgers at the event anymore, kids and their families still come to the track to compete and test their skills in the various racing, jumping and throwing events.
“Ninety-eight per cent of the kids can’t wait (for the event),” Millar said. “The other two per cent are nervous.”
Millar explained that the Challenge is different than school track and field events. Athletes in the Challenge only compete in their four events and compete in a more relaxed atmosphere.
“I had feedback from a family today that their daughter who just started was really nervous,” Millar said. “But then she chatted with one of her friends that’s been here before who said, ‘No it’s great. We get to chat in between and cheer people on.’ It’s very social.”
The Mustangs Track and Field club currently has 98 athletes who will all be competing this weekend. The rest of the runners are travelling from all over Sturgeon County, north Edmonton, Parkland County and Spruce Grove.
The participant count is the highest the event has ever seen in over 20 years and the volunteer count almost matches with close to 250 volunteers helping run the event.
The junior events start at 9 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday at Fowler Athletic Park, with the senior and relay events ending both days around 4 p.m.
