THE FRONT ROW with Bill Buley July 23, 2010

We're a half-mile into the Rathdrum 5K fun run, and already it hurts.

The 105 starters bolted from the parking lot at Lakeland High School like this was some kind of Olympic finals and I found myself gasping for breath, struggling to match strides with a 10-year-old boy on my right named Jackson. Geez, what is it with this kid, I thought? He's fast, but I can't let him beat me, so I ran harder.

Up ahead, my oldest son Nick was running somewhere near the front of the pack, disappearing around a turn and my youngest son Ray was somewhere behind, pushing hard, I was sure, in his new Nike running shoes I bought him on the promise he would run 3 miles a week with me.

The course wound through a neighborhood, then led us onto a trail through the woods. Cross country style, suited more for strength than speed. Good. I continued pushing the pace as I passed a few more kids. Every race I vow not to kill myself. Every race, I kill myself to gain a few seconds, pick up a few places. More than 2 miles in, and we're running on the Lakeland track and I'm chasing down another kid in this year's lime green Bloomsday shirt. What's with all these kids?

"C'mon Buley. Get him," I tell myself. "Go man, go."

I do get him, and a few minutes later, I am done, ninth place, in 18 minutes, 33 seconds. Nick, I learned, was second, 17:34, outsprinted for first place and the top prize, a free pair of shoes from Fleet Feet. Ray comes in 26th, 21:24, a good effort that had me trying to convince him, again, to turn out for cross country at Lake City High.

A GOOD time at a fun run on Saturday with two sons equals a great day. But the best was to come.

First, food. Muffins, bagels, bananas. Oranges.

Next, prizes.

This was one of those good, old-fashioned races where they give awards like running socks and energy bars to the top age-group finishers, but also have drawings for lots of prizes for anyone who competed.

There were footballs, coffee cups, $20 cash, baskets with gifts, candy, some kind of sonic tooth brush thing. I hadn't seen such giveaway since Christmas morning. The crowd didn't leave until the very last Hawaiian necklace and Fleet Feet water bottle were gone.

Where do all these gifts come from? In a time when many fun runs have cut back or all but eliminated prizes, how does the Rathdrum 5K have so many?

I had to know, so I sought out the man in charge, Shawn Lawler, cross country and distance running coach at Timberlake High School and the one who started the Rathdrum 5K in 2004.

His runners collect them, he explained. They fan out into the community in search of business owners who will contribute to make this race rewarding, fun and profitable.

"The kids play a big role in bringing in prizes," Lawler said.

IT'S AN idea he borrowed from friend Mike Collins, a running coach at Lewis-Clark State College. The more prizes there are, the more runners will keep coming back. And the more runners there are, the more money the race generates for the Timberlake cross country program.

"It's a great way to raise money without having to go door-to-door," Lawler said.

In this case, the money goes to fund their fall trip to Boise for the Bob Firman Invitational, one of the largest in Idaho. Timberlake's girls team won the small school division last year.

"We need to have prizes so runners will come back," Lawler said. "It's nice if you're in the top 3, but what if you're not?"

With parents rallying behind their kids, this year's number of prizes may have been the best yet, he said.

The entry fee is relatively cheap, too. Race day, no shirt, cost me $30 for our three entries.

"We try to keep the price low," he said.

The concept seems to be working. Last year about 85 showed for the race. Other years, it's been as high as 120. Once more find out about all the prizes, the food, the course, more will come, Lawler said.

Perhaps then they're raise enough to not only cover the bus ride to Boise, but even provide meal money for the kids.

"We'd like to get in the 200 range," he said.

LAWLER KNOWS running.

He ran at Vallivue High in Caldwell, posting bests of 9 minutes, 49 seconds in the 3,200 meters, and 4:31 in the 1,600. That's pretty darn good.

He went on to run at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore., and Boise State University. He wasn't great, he says, but could cover 8K in 25 minutes, which is about 5 minutes per mile pace. Again, that's good by any standards.

"I was a solid runner," he said.

When Lawler arrived at Timberlake High School, he learned it didn't have a cross country program, so in 2003 he started one. Eight kids came out. No coaching stipend, no travel money, so they had to ride the bus with Lakeland.

"It was a major challenge," he said.

As any dedicated long distance runner would do, Lawler didn't quit.

Today, there are about 30 cross country runners at Timberlake. His wife Stacie heads up the junior high program, which she started in 2006, and there are about 20 runners.

Lawler believes strongly that the lessons learned in distance running - hard work, perseverance, dedication, commitment - pay off in real life.

There are days you feel you can run fast and strong forever. And there are days you'll feel like you're going to puke far before the finish line. Running can be painful at times, not very rewarding, even, but if you stick with it, if you don't quit, you will be a better person, Lawler said. You might even win a race or two along the way.

"We look at this as trying to get kids to translate what they learn about running to life," Lawler said. "The reward is that fast time you get one day. Life's the same way. You've got to be patient."

And don't forget about the prizes.

Bill Buley is city editor of the Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, ext. 2016, or [email protected]