For first-time runners, both Marion and James Koester completed the 5K course with relative ease, neither breaking a sweat as they crossed the finish line early Sunday morning.
Of course, the 2- and 4-year-old received some help from their mother, Maryfrances, who pushed them in a stroller while running the trails at Nay Aug Park.
"My family is here, so we thought it would be fun to have the kids participate in the run, too," Ms. Koester said. "It's for a great cause."
Dozens of people swarmed Nay Aug Park on Sunday for the inaugural Ryan O'Malley Race 5K Run/Walk.
The course started and ended at the Schimelfenig pool pavilion, and took runners past the former zoo and amusement park.
Proceeds from the race benefit the Ryan T. O'Malley '99 Memorial Scholarship at the University of Scranton.
A 1999 graduate of the U of S, Mr. O'Malley died in August 2011 at 33. An avid runner, his passion for computer technology led him to pursue a career in the computing sciences.
The scholarship will benefit computer science students interested in fitness and community service who have limited financial resources, said organizer Julie O'Malley Philipp, Ryan's older sister.
"The support from the community is overwhelming," she said. "It's as great of a turnout as we could have expected."
With his wife and granddaughters cheering, 69-year-old Tom Sweeney sprinted across the finish line - completing a lifelong goal.
"I always said that some day I was going to run a 5K," the Clarks Summit man said. "Today just seemed like the perfect opportunity."
Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter