COMMUNITY – American Martyrs School 5k celebrates 43rd year
by Mark McDermott The American Martyrs 5k is growing. Many things about the event remain unchanged since its humble origins 40 years ago, when a few hundred parishioners took to the streets of Manhattan Beach, running or walking on an early February morning to raise money for American Martyrs School. The race itself, which this year takes place on February 25, remains five kilometers and begins near the school, although the course has been slightly altered to help elite runners more safely separate from the larger pack in the first few hundred meters. The race is still much more than a race, but is rather a means for the community to come together. What has changed is that this sense of community has both grown and extended beyond American Martyrs. More than 1,000 people now participate each year as the race has broadened into a larger event. This is reflected in its name, the American Martyrs School 5k Run/Walk and Wellness Expo. But there is another name used to describe it that is indicative of what an iconic day the AMS 5k has become. Race director Brian Tinker said that these days organizers tend to simply call it “the 5k,” something that began when the wellness expo was…
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