More than 200 participants showed up to downtown Gustine for the eighth rendition of the 5K color run event on Sunday.
The annual gathering is part of fundraising efforts where revenue is split between Gustine High’s Class of 2027 and towards the city’s public works departments. The event first started in a partnership with the city and the high school’s football team, according to Gustine Recreation Manager Tiffany Vitorino.
The turnout for this year was a far cry from last year, which was postponed to November due to the lack of participants with 30 people registered.
Sunday’s color run wrapped around the city’s downtown area, starting at Fifth Street. From that point, runners turned right to Fifth Avenue, took another right turn to West Avenue, turned left to Lucerne Avenue, took a right turn to Laurel Avenue, another right turn to North Avenue, and a right turn to Fifth Street. Participants were required to do two full laps to meet 5K.
Throughout the run, volunteers stood on the side of the road where they threw colored powder towards ongoing runners. By the end, some runners had a combination of colors on their outfits.
As residents partake in the event annually, for some it was their first time they got involved with a city-led event. That was the case for Ryenz Cleyton Magboo, who recently moved to Gustine in 2023. While he resides in Gustine, the rising senior regularly commutes to the Bay Area where he attends Yerba Buena High School in San Jose. He has been involved with the school’s cross county and track and field teams.
For Magboo, he heard about the annual event, but decided to get involved to see how popular it was.
“For me to come out here, it feels great,” he said. “Because I’m more of just like a nobody here, but it’s great to make a name out here.”
Magboo finished the run in first place with a time of 19 minutes and 23 seconds. Following him was Jeffrey Camara in second place, who clocked in 36 seconds after Magboo.
While each participant ran for a specific purpose, Vincent Lopez alongside his mother, Margo Lopez, ran for the purpose of honoring someone they cared for, Haylie Marie Maciel. Maciel died in January at 20 years old. Both were a part of 32 runners who ran to honor Maciel and wore a white T-shirt that had a message to commemorate her.
In the hopes of honoring his ex-girlfriend, Vincent Lopez said he felt that the 5K was the perfect opportunity to do so.
“[To] do this 5K in memory of her and just getting across the finish line with her memory and everything we’re doing for her, that was my main reason,” he said. “I kind of underestimated the 5K, but it exceeded my expectations.”
Margo Lopez shared a similar sediment where she focused on finishing the run in honor of Maciel.
Those tributes caught Vitorino’s attention and showed compassion within the local community, she said. “We love when people get their own shirts. They don’t have to buy ours,” Vitorino said.
