Dashing in disguise

By Ashley Bunner

Falwells join students, dress for Halloween for annual Costume 5K race

With the fall season in full swing, Liberty University students donned creative costumes to participate in Student Activities’ (SA) fourth annual Costume 5K race at Camp Hydaway on Halloween night Friday, Oct. 31.

According to SA Outdoor Staff Supervisor Mariah Herring, 92 participants gathered at the starting line at 8 p.m. to begin their trek through the woods of Camp Hydaway. The course trails were lined with glow sticks, tiki torches and streamers to help guide the participants through the woods.

Every runner that pre-registered was encouraged to bring his or her own flashlight for the race, Herring said.

Last year, the costume race was only a 2K race. This year, SA decided to switch things up to make the race more exciting for the participants.

“We changed it to a 5K just to make it a little longer and more enjoyable,” Herring said. “It was just too short last year. We added a lot more scary elements and stuff like that.”

Students paid a $5 registration fee and received a T-shirt for participating in the race.

An award ceremony was held after the race during which winners received their medals. Medals were awarded to first, second and third-place finishers, and Wal-Mart gift cards were given for best male and female costumes.

Liberty freshman Alex Cottingham ran the race dressed as a green teletubbie and won first place for best male costume.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of teletubbies growing up, … and the green one was just my favorite,” Cottingham said. “So I was trying to decide when I was making my costume which one I would be, so I decided the green one.”

Cottingham, who has run 5K races prior to this one, said he had a great time running in the dark.

“It was fun … but I couldn’t see anything. I had to be careful,” Cottingham said. “I didn’t have a flashlight, so I was running in the dark. I couldn’t see (my) steps, so I tripped a couple times.”

Despite the darkness, Cottingham said that running with his group of friends made the race a lot of fun.

Liberty freshman Priscilla Baum, who won first place in the women’s division, ran dressed as a minion from the movie “Despicable Me” with her sisters by her side.

“Definitely (my) time was slower because of the dark,” Baum said. “I’ve never run (up) a hill in the dark. You can’t see the top when you’re going up and you can’t see the bottom when you’re going down. All you can see is the 4 feet in front of you and your flashlight.”

Senior Sarah Dempsey dressed up as the house from the movie “Up.”

“I did the Fun Run last year,” Dempsey said. “Last year, it was shorter, so this year it was a lot harder.”

Dempsey, a graphic design student, said it was difficult to run uphill in the Pinterest-inspired costume she made.

President Jerry Falwell and his wife Becki made a special appearance at the Costume 5K dressed as characters from the movie “Braveheart.”

“We’ve been going around campus looking for groups of students,” Jerry Falwell said. “Yesterday, I got a random call from Mel Gibson, and we just talked for 15 or 20 minutes, and from that, (Becki) got the idea of dressing up like William Wallace and Princess Isabelle (from the movie).”

The Falwells contacted Assistant Costume Manager of the Theatre Arts Department Kathy Jordan to help them put their costumes together.

The next SA race will be the Valley View 5 Mile Trail Race Nov. 8 at Camp Hydaway. For more information on SA events, visit liberty.edu/sa.

Bunner is a feature reporter.