Dean Breest was a passionate follower of cross country this past season and the talent he saw on the trails around the area amazed him. It also gave him an idea to bring a fundraising race to the county that would be exactly like a race he ran in Brazil a number of years ago. The race, which was sponsored by a newspaper, had runners begin a race late on New Year’s Eve, so that the runners would be start the race in one year and finish it in the next.

“I just thought that was the coolest idea and thought why not do something like that here” said Breest. He approached The Citizen newspapers with his plan to have the race raise money for the area schools cross country and track and field programs and asked if they would like to get involved. They agreed and the planning period kicked into high gear. While a number of sites were looked at, the town of Brooks stepped up to the plate and welcomed the race and the number of runners who will brave the cold and the darkness and run in one of the most unique races around.

Breest hopes that in future years, top runners from all over the county could be invited to attend and flown out for the race. It is easy to see how the event could grow over the years, bringing a wonderful new tradition to the county as they celebrate an entry into a brand new year.

Since the race has been announced, interest from runners of all levels, volunteers and sponsors has been booming. It is not too late to register to run, sign up to volunteer or donate some money to become a sponsor. Entry forms and volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are available on The Citizen’s web site, www.thecitizen.com.

The entry fee is $25 and all runners will receive a t-shirt. There will be also prizes awarded to top finishers.

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