Central Oregon Community College was off to the races this spring with consecutive running events: the 28th annual Jungle Run on May 9 and the 28th annual Storm the Stairs on May 16.

Each race started at the Mazama track on the Bend Campus, and was put on by COCC’s club and intramural sports. Josh Motenko, the program’s assistant director, took over five years ago and has kept the traditions alive.

For the Jungle Run, participants chose a 2-mile or 4-mile course, hurdling over obstacles and sloshing through mud. The Storm the Stairs course is shorter–a little under 2 miles—but has a brutal elevation gain of 465 stairs, including inside COCC buildings. Both runs were free for COCC students.

One of the Jungle Run racers, Dublin Wilter, opted for the 2-mile course.“I don’t run,” Wilter said. “I was told the run was today, and I just said, ‘screw it. I’m just going to run it. His favorite part of the race, he said, was “the guy behind Boyle Education Center with the Super Soaker.”