On your marks, get set, go! On Friday, students, staff and alumni from Lambrick Park Secondary School took Mount Douglas by storm as they participated in the school’s 25th Annual King and Queen of the Hill race.
Runners clustered around the starting line, vying to be the first to reach the top of the hill, before taking off in a flash. Each year, the first boy and girl to reach the top of Mount Douglas are crowned King and Queen of the Hill.
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The 2019 King and Queen were 15-year-olds Aiden Grew and Teagan Hunt. Grew finished in just over seven minutes and Hunt, who won the race in 2017, finished in just under nine minutes. Neither broke the all time record – six minutes and 56 seconds for boys and eight minutes, 10 seconds for girls – but both noted it was a good race.
The top finishers received trophies and everyone was given a special 25th anniversary tee shirt.
The race was initially created by teacher and cross country coach Tom Turnbull in 1995 in an effort to promote the cross country team and get more students interested in running. Now, 25 years later, Turnbull, 60, is retiring and getting ready to pass the reigns to another teacher. Several are being considered and he’s hopeful the event will continue for a long time.
Turnbull has seen thousands of students race up Mount Douglas over the years and alumni frequently return for the event even though only current students can win. This year, five former Kings of the Hill participated.
Despite the warm weather, for his swan song race, Turnbull ran in a full Elvis costume including a wig and glasses. He’s always been a big fan and loves to do impersonations of the King of Rock and Roll.
READ ALSO: Lambrick Park School invites past kings and queens to 25th Mount Douglas race
Fellow teacher, Keith Grew, had a plaque made for Turnbull and presented it to him once he crossed the finish line. Grew, who may take over managing the race, thanked Turnbull for his service and dedication to the school.
Turnbull felt good after the race and noted it was “a good one to go out on.” He was happy to see former students return and current students run their hearts out. Turnbull hopes everyone comes back to race again next year and he’ll know if they do as he plans on continuing to attend the race for as long as he can.
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