Lockhart local wins Kiwanis Club Annual 5K Stampede

On Saturday, Sept. 30, the Lockhart Kiwanis Club held its annual 5K Stampede with 167 participants taking to the streets of for the 5K and 1K Fun Run.

Johnny Castanon, 22, of Lockhart was the overall winner with a time of 19:10. Jenny Saad, 28, of Lockhart was the first overall female finishing at 24:00.

The 5K Stampede is known for giving out unique awards to its winners. Runners look forward to receiving cowbells for the top 3 winners in each age division. This year, Lockhart ISD employees Gage Melendez, Yvonne Garcia, and Micheal Ramirez who “Outran the Superintendent” each received a gift card from Ready to Run. They also placed top in their age divisions to receive cowbell awards.

Alfonso Sifuentes won the special “frying pan” award for the fastest Kiwanis member adding to his collection from previous years along with an age division cowbell. Due to technical issues, team awards had to be announced later in the day. The first-place team, NavBelievable, is comprised of Lockhart ISD employees of Navarro Elementary. The second-place team is from Lockhart Family Medicine and third third-place team is The Lopez Family. Team plaques were delivered and presented to each team in the following days after the race. 

Find a complete list of race results at https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/55912.

While many of the participants are loyal, local Lockhart natives there is also a number from Austin, San Marcos, and other surrounding cities. Participants from area runner’s club like the flat course for training miles before longer runs and enjoy the beloved cowbell awards. The Kiwanis Club would like to thank the community for its support through sponsorships and volunteers. Over 60 businesses sponsored this year’s race while 50-plus individuals volunteered on race day. This race would not be possible without this support.

The Stampede is the club’s largest fundraiser of the year. The Lockhart Kiwanis Club has been supporting the youth of Caldwell County for more than 75 years. The Lockhart Kiwanis Club supports things such as leadership camps, youth sports programs, and more; however, the scholarship program awards the largest funds. The club meets every Tuesday at noon at Terry Black’s Barbeque. This local chapter is open to businessmen and women who desire to support children. Visitors and new members are welcome. Educational and informational programs are offered at these weekly meetings.