The 2023 Big Red Race

Alahna Kim ’26 in News | May 12, 2023

This past Saturday, on May 7, members of the Lawrenceville community gathered outside the Bowl for The Big Red Race. The race is an annual 5K held on campus to fundraise for School Camp (SCamp), Lawrenceville’s two-week summer camp for underprivileged children from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Since the first Big Red Race in 2004, it has become an annual spring tradition that many students, faculty, and parents participate in.

For almost two decades, Directors of College Counseling Holly Burks-Becker P'06 '09 '12 and Jeffrey Durso-Finley P'13 '14 '19 '22 have been in charge of organizing the Big Red Race; they first came up with the idea while they were preparing to run a marathon together. Becker thought that hosting a 5K on campus would be the “ideal opportunity for the school and community to unite and raise money for a good cause.”

“Community races are healthy, supportive, and a whole lot of fun," Becker said. She noted that participating in such events can serve as a “great way for students to connect with each other,” especially for Lawrenceville students who have never ran in one. According to Becker, the event has grown from just 75 participants in 2004 to over 250 runners this year.

Becker is especially grateful for the "generosity of decades of School Camp Counselors who donated to the cause," which had made the race a “resounding success.” This year's Big Red Race was “especially noteworthy” due to the participation of the entirety of the Kirby House and the Boy’s Crew and Boy’s Track and Field teams. Looking ahead,. Becker envisions next year's race to surpass all expectations and "be bigger and better than ever.”

Reflecting on her experience running this year’s Big Red Race, Kirby House Prefect Ashley Lee ’23 said that she was "glad” she attended and “had the opportunity to help the kids at Scamp.”

Alice Kizilbash ’25 echoed Lee’s sentiment, claiming to have "loved every second of it," with Kirby House’s full participation making it a “bonding experience.” "I would hundred percent do it again," she said.

Bastian Bocklage ’26, the winner of this year’s race, enjoyed racing with his teammates from the Boys Track and Field Team, noting that it was "fun and helped [him] bond with the community.”

Kyle Park ’23, who also ran the race as a member of the Boys Track and Field Team, appreciated that the race "was a good event for a good cause." He also mentioned that everyone was "hyped to show up," emphasizing the excitement of the event and the anticipation leading up to it.

The Big Red Race is a tradition that brings the Lawrenceville community together while supporting an important cause. Students and faculty alike are encouraged to participate in future races.

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The 2023 Big Red Race