WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - More than 650 runners took to the streets of the Pine Valley area Saturday morning for the fourth-annual Cardinal Strut.
Runners could run a 5K, 10K, or a 1.2 mile fun run which was used to complete a kids marathon. Holly Tree students ran the first 25 miles over previous weeks of the school year.
The event is run in memory of Holly Tree Elementary students Jake Hatton and Bryson Parry who lost their battle with cancer.
"What do boys love more than just running and playing." said organizer Renee Griffin. "We wanted to create a memorial track and field for these boys so their memory lived on in the happiness of others."
Over the four year history the race has raised more than 50-thousand dollars which has been used for the Memorial Field Project at Holly Tree. Part of that project was the installation of a running track which was completed just after the start of the school year.
"This was the first year our runners were able to actually run on the track, which was huge for us." Griffin said. "The nice thing is the field and track go well beyond Holly Tree, it's an area that is used by the community, and that's what we wanted."
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