Bengal 5K Scholarship Run
September 22, 2014
Buffalo State College concluded its 17th annual Bengal 5K race yester, Sept. 21.
The race saw approximately 150 racers of all different age groups and genders who were alumni, current students, or visitors participating in a friendly challenge of stamina and determination. Starting from Coyer Field, runners ran the entire campus compound and came to a finish behind the Technology Building.
Sponsored by the Alumni Association, the race is in allegiance with both the Legacy Scholarship Fund and Military Service Scholarship, both of which supports eligible Buffalo State students.
Katelyn Brickhouse, Alumni Association Events Coordinator, commented on this year’s race. “We wanted to bring more engagement of alumnus to homecoming because it is an event that is usually celebrated on campus by both students and families. We wanted alumnus to come back and know that they had a place at homecoming, so moving the race to the school grounds was a way to have an event that we already had in the past but also celebrate homecoming.” Birckhouse, who has been an active participant in the race herself in past years, felt that the message behind the race was what drove so many people to come out and be active at this event. “You have to weigh what the point of the race is; it’s to engage alumnus and raise money for scholarships instead of just having a race that just only brings in profit so the meaning behind why was important.”
Alumni Brian Dubenion, Assistant Director of Student Success and past race participant offered The Record a professional outlook on the race’s meaning. “I think anytime you’re creating a goal and working towards accomplishing said goal is a great opportunity for a college student. I also think it is important to think about the whole piece as a way to connect to the campus institution and being engaged in things the institution is offering.”
This year’s winner Bumkuth Jiak, a member to the school’s cross country team, is a junior completing a Arts major with a Hospitality minor here at Buffalo State. He finished the race in under just 16 minutes. Jiak was not very boosting of his victory and showed companionship when it came to what the race was about. “This is my first race and I agreed with my coach to do it as a tempo, nothing serious. I know I can do 14 minutes if I’m really in shape but that takes a lot of training and I just started my season. In this race I just wanted to have fun.” “The most difficult thing about running this race was running alone. I knew that it wasn’t going to be fun because running alone is always hard and I mentally prepared myself to do it for myself. All in all it would have been so much faster and fun if I had someone with me.”
The race itself did not only bring attention to people of the Buffalo State area, but also many people beyond the campus lines. Jill and Brian Campbell, residents of Welland, Ontario, found information on the race online and decided to participate. As regular racers, both Jill and Brian often scout the web for upcoming races and participate in ones they find appealing. “It was a well done race. It was organized, the campus is beautiful, and the people were friendly. The course was accurate and the mile markers were in the right places, we will definitely be back next year.”
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