Sat Aug 19, 2023 – Saturday morning saw over 500 elementary runners take to the hills of Chapel Lake Park for the 1st Annual Chapel Lake Elementary Challenge. After years of planning, and cutting several courses at the new park on Jeffersonville’s Northeast side, 22 schools from across Southern Indiana and Louisville sent K – 5th grade runners to compete on a 1 mile and 2K course. Jeffersonville Head Track Coach, Sam Mull, along with Eddie Terkhorn of Terkhorn Timing, worked with the Jeff Parks Department to get these courses lined out. Paul Northam and Tim McCoy made sure the courses were clearly marked, cut and ready for the event. Utica Elementary had over 60 runners compete in this inaugural event. Cross Country runners from Jeffersonville also volunteered to help lead the youngsters around the courses, highlighted by sophomore Annabelle Hertwick running with a visually impaired runner from Goshen. Annabelle stayed with the young runner all the way around the winding 1 mile course. Mayor Mike Moore has been looking for an event that would showcase this new park. The work put in by the Parks Department, Coach Mull and Eddie Terkhorn saw a park full of kids running while others played at the playground. Every parking spot was full as well as all the grass on both sides of the entrance. With one successful event now in the books, the focus turns to hosting a high school invitational on the 5k course that will become the new home course for the Jeffersonville Red Devils.