Darek Farrell of Taft Elementary School and Alara Seiferheld of Little Britain Elementary are victorious in final pumpkin run race

Darek Farrell of Taft Elementary School placed first for the boys and Alara Seiferheld of Little Britain Elementary School placed first for the girls during the annual districtwide cross-country pumpkin run on Monday.

The top 20 student placements from each of the Washingtonville Central School District elementary schools’ annual pumpkin run gathered at Washingtonville High School, stretching and warming up to prepare for the final cross-country race.

During the race, students ran across the field next to the football field and up the hill by the soccer field, then looped back down to the bottom of the finish line. The boys went first, followed by the girls. Families watched from the sidelines, cheering and clapping as participants zoomed by.

“It’s just a great experience,” said Kenny Behr, father of Mackenzie, a fifth grader at Taft Elementary. “She was fortunate enough to be in it last year as well. It’s really great to see all the kids outside of school in another activity. It’s a great experience for all the kids.”

Kaiden Arroyo from Taft Elementary placed second with a time of 7:16, and Little Britain’s Franco Acierno placed third with a time of 7:18. 

Taft’s Portia Todaro placed second with a time of 8:29, and Braelynn McRae from Little Britain placed third with a time of 8:34. 

“It’s really fun and I’m glad I get to participate in these events,” said Cassidy Migliorini, a fifth grader at Round Hill. “I’m glad I get to meet new people and challenge people I already know from different grade levels.”