Jingle Jog to provide festive start to Winterfest
Brian Achenbach/Iowa State Daily
Mason Frank, senior in math education, is the first runner to pass through columns of christmas lights which mark the finish line of the 2013 Jingle Jog race outside of Curtis Hall on Dec. 6. Runners started at Beardshear Hall from where they loop around by the Design building over to lead and back over to Curtis Hall all while enduring subzero temperatures. “The Living History Farms race was worse,” said Frank.
December 4, 2015
With the holiday season in full swing, Friday’s Jingle Jog fun run is ready to kick off Iowa State’s annual Winterfest.
At a total of 327 registered runners, the Jingle Jog is bigger than ever and aims to provide students with a festive way to exercise and socialize.
“It kicks off Winterfest and starts with the lighting of the tree, then Student Government President Dan Breitbarth gives a speech at the steps of Beardshear Hall,” said Kristen Lowe, president of Freshman Council and sophomore in agriculture and public relations. “Then they do a fun run two miles around campus, ending by the Campanile, where you can go inside and enjoy the Winterfest activities.”
While attendance has dipped in recent years, due in part to the race being remodeled from a 5K to just two miles because of ice dangers, numbers are back up after additions to this year’s fun run.
“We’ve added some foam, LED-light baton sticks this year, so everyone will get one of those as well as a glow-in-the-dark T-shirt and bells to put on their feet,” Lowe said.
Jingle Jog was created more than nine years ago by the Freshman Council to commemorate the loss of ISU student Andy Albright, who was killed in a car crash returning to campus. Albright was a member of Freshman Council, and a $1,000 scholarship has been named in his honor.
“It’s a scholarship that we just got endowed last year, so we are raising more money to add to it this year,” Lowe said. ”Any freshman can apply, and the advisers of Freshman Council will choose the recipient.”
Along with the fun run there is an optional costume contest with the winner being awarded a prize.
People interested can sign up for these activities until 3 p.m. Friday, and T-shirts are available to order upon registration.
