Sunday’s Torch Run a family affair as miles are logged

    Every few years, the Cornhusker Games Torch Run comes through Imperial and Chase County.
    This year, due to COVID-19 concerns, the Torch Run wasn’t set up in its usual fashion—a relay event across Nebraska that finishes in Lincoln just ahead of the Cornhusker State Games.    
    This year, each county was assigned a date on which local residents could run a mile or more.
    Chase County’s targeted date was Sunday. At least 10 runners in Chase County registered, and two ended up being prize winners in a daily drawing promotion.
    Local runners included Macy Coleman, Mallory (Coleman) Oxford, John Burke, Cheri Burke and all six members of the Hauxwell family—Troy, Mercy, Kaley, Faith, Haven and Addison.
    Runners on Sunday faced heavy winds and continued warm temperatures.
    The Coleman sisters decided to put in their miles early. Mallory logged two miles, then about 7 a.m., met up with sister Macy, when the pair completed another mile together with their dogs in tow.
    Running up Imperial’s main street, they faced little traffic early Sunday morning, but had to deal with the strong winds that averaged 30 mph that day. Gusts reached 63 mph Sunday, according the National Weather Service.
    Sunday was a special family day for the Hauxwells Sunday, as June 7 also marked Troy’s parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Neal and Margie Hauxwell live east of McCook in rural Red Willow County, so that’s where the Hauxwells put in their miles.
    Troy said his family and other Hauxwell relatives completed about 24 Torch Run miles that afternoon, most of them up and down the lane leading from his parents’ home.
    All of them carried a homemade torch with a gold relay baton forming the base and paper cutouts that resembled a flame, he said.
    Troy said his aunt and uncle got him involved in the Torch Run years ago, and his dad has run in many of them since early on.
    “He’s done them about all of the years except for a couple of years when the miles or route were already filled up,” he said.
    After the running Sunday, all of the Hauxwells enjoyed a family meal at their parents’ home, he said.
    John and Cheri Burke each logged a mile in Imperial Sunday morning, both on the country road that continues west from 12th Street. Cheri ran early in the day, while John ran his mid-morning.
    Each day of the Torch Run since it kicked off June 1 in the panhandle, prizes have been given out randomly to participants who register and submit photos.
    John Burke won a $25 Nebraska Sports Council gift card and Mallory Oxford’s name was drawn for a $25 Casey’s gift card.
    The run concludes June 25 in Gage, Lancaster, Saline, Saunders and Seward counties. The annual Cornhusker Games follow on July 17-26.