Spartan 5K around the bend

When the snow starts to melt and the temperatures begin to rise, joggers from all over the community emerge from their basement or gym treadmills, like bears from hibernation, to run on nearby roads.

Four the fourth consecutive year, those joggers — and anyone else who wants to help out a great cause — will gather at Valley Stream North High School for the annual Spartan 5K Run/Walk on March 16 to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Last year, the event raised $3,700 and featured about 300 runners. Anne Schroeder, a North science teacher, plays a major role in organizing the event each year, along with Mike Frazer, a North track coach and science teacher. Frazer organizes the technical aspects or the race, including mapping out the route through the streets of Franklin Square and setting up water stations, while Schroeder does more behind-the-scenes work, like handling the paperwork.

“When you get 300 people out on the starting line at the track you realize that you’re really doing some good and all the hard work is worth it,” Frazer said. “Not only to make a donation to a charity, but also the fact that the community can come together for an event like this…it’s nice to be able to do that. The spirit of North High School and this Valley Stream community is alive and kicking.”

The race begins on the North track, winds through local streets and ends on the same track it started.