Runners compete in Chile Pepper Festival

Will Crotts, Reporter

It was about the last half mile of the race, and the finish line felt like it was only getting farther away, but once senior Juan Gomez passed the finish line, feelings of happiness and relief overwhelmed him. Gomez had just finished in second place for his team at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival, where his team went on to place 24th out of nearly 100 teams from the midwest.

“It was really crowded with lots of pushing and shoving. There were so many people and I didn’t know who to stick with, so I just locked onto someone and ran with them,” Gomez said.

The Chile Pepper Festival is the largest cross country event in Arkansas, and it’s held every year with upwards of 5,000 people registering to run. It attracts cross country teams from the collegiate and high school levels alike from Texas, Missouri, and other states surrounding Arkansas.

“I have ran in the Chile Pepper before, so at this point, I’m not really intimidated by it anymore, but I think for the younger runners it is probably rather intimidating,” junior Halley Crommett said.

The Chile Pepper is the single largest fundraiser for local cross country programs in the Northwest Arkansas area. Every year, the foundation donates $5,000 to Springdale High School and Har-Ber High School each, and Har-Ber donates $1,000 of its funds to the local junior highs, Central Junior High and Southwest Junior High School.

“Our program wouldn’t be a fraction of what it is now without the Chile Pepper,” head cross country coach Joe Crommett said.

Senior and varsity cross country runner Ishmael Briseno recently ran 16:36 at the Chile Pepper, placing him on the board as the sixth fastest runner in Har-Ber High School history. Placing 97th in a 750 person race, Briseno lead his team as the fastest runner, with Gomez not far behind.

“I didn’t think about it at the time, but it felt really good for hard work to pay off. We’ve improved a lot, but we need to work on running together well. I think if you want to run like the faster people, you have to run with them,” Briseno said.

 

Halley:

I think our team really working well together. There’s a stronger bond present this year than last year

I’ve ran the chili pepper before so at this point i’m not really intimidated by it anymore but i think the for the younger it’s probably rather intimidating

Ishmael 16:36:

We’ve improved a lot but we need to work on running together

If you want to run like somebody you have to run with them

I didn’t think about it at the time but it felt really good for hard work to pay off

Juan 17:03:

It was really crowded with lots of pushing and stuff

It was hard because I didn’t know who to stick with

We started out not running together but now that were later in the season were running in packs

I always try to do a little bit more distance than everyone else and a little faster

It was like the last 800m of the race and the finish kept getting longer but once i finished i was just really happy and relieved

Coach Crommett: The founder created chili pepper to help cross country programs in NWA. Every year we get $5000 from it and we give $1000 from ours to our junior highs.

Our program wouldn’t be a fraction of what it is now without chili pepper

I love this team and this is the best team i’ve ever had. If our guys decide to push themselves we can definitely take state.