Hosted by the Pine Island Kiwanis Club at the Calusa Heritage Trail, the Calusa 5K took place on Saturday, January 11 with runners hailing from as far away as Chicago and ranging in age from 8 to 79.

Runners at the start of the Calusa 5K
Runners at the start of the Calusa 5K. (Photo by Andre Mule.)

The concluding sprint on the short loop of the Calusa Heritage Trail was the course highlight.

Ryan Kinney, a sophomore at Ida Baker High School, was overall winner with a time of 18 minutes and 59.8 seconds.


Painting of the Calusa Heritage Trail by artist Mel Meo.
(Art work by Mel Meo.)

Local artist and longtime Randell Research Center supporter Mel Meo created art work for the framed prints provided to winners in various categories. A portion of the proceeds will be shared with the RRC by the Pine Island Kiwanis Club and earmarked for education activities with children. We look forward to the second annual event with planning already underway.