Hundreds of students and community members will gather in Kyle Field to participate in an athletic event that’s not football.
MSC Freshmen in Service and Hosting will hold the fourth annual Run the Ramps on Friday, and races will begin in five-minute increments starting at 7:30 p.m. A 5k, 3.5k, and a 1.5k fun run will give participants a chance to run up and down the ramps and finish on Kyle Field.
Check-in will start at 7 p.m. on the southeast end of Kyle Field, and free parking will be offered in Lot 62. Registered participants can pick up their packets anytime from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Grub Burger Bar.
Communication freshman Hannah Hastings is on the MSC FISH marketing development committee. Hastings said that after the race, there will be music and Grub will cater food for the runners.
“It can be competitive, or it can be super casual,” Hastings said. “If people just want to walk it, that’s great.”
Hastings said participants can register on the day of, but she recommends that they register as soon as possible.
Registration is $25 to $35 per participant, depending on their preferred distance, and includes a T-shirt, race bib, medal and opportunity to win door prizes. Runners will also have access to their timing results and race day photos. More information and a registration link is available at fish.tamu.edu/run-the-ramps.
Hastings said the money raised from the races will go toward next February’s MSC Waves leadership conference and the upcoming Kyle Field Day on April 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kyle Field Day is another MSC FISH event that hosts around 50 local organizations in service booths that give students an opportunity to participate in small-scale service projects.
Last year, Run the Ramps had 500 participants and raised $4,000. Hastings said her goal for this year’s Run the Ramps is to have 700 participants.
“It’s a great opportunity to experience Kyle Field in a new way,” Hastings said. “I encourage anyone on campus, off campus or anyone in the community who is also passionate about leadership and about our community to participate in this event.”
Management junior and MSC FISH executive director Kara Bramhall oversees the sophomore assistant directors and the freshmen in the development committee. Bramhall said planning for each year’s Run the Ramps starts a year in advance once the new officers are selected.
“I am very passionate about the work that FISH does, its mission and how it changes the lives of our freshmen and impacts the lives in our community through the programs we put on,” Bramhall said.
Mechanical engineering senior Chris Walker was the MSC FISH executive director of development last year and was a freshman when Run the Ramps began. Walker said the first races were early in the morning during the weekend, and the event was shifted later this year to create a “Friday Night Lights” theme. Last year, Run the Ramps started a partnership with the Atlas Racing Series to provide timing results.
“Kyle Field is a really unique Aggie landmark,” Walker said. “You get to see the stadium in a way you normally wouldn’t see it. I think it’s a good thing for people to challenge themselves.”