MOSES LAKE - Hundreds of children, many in costumes, bared a cold weekend morning for the Great Pumpkin Race at Blue Heron Park in Moses Lake.

The 12th annual race, sponsored by the Moses Lake Cross Country Booster Club, offered a range of race distances around the park, open to children in kindergarten and younger who ran a 600-meter course, while kids up to seventh- and eighth-graders participated in a 1.5 mile race. Moses Lake High School Cross Country team members also raced against participants in the 5K portion, open to all children and adults.

Each entry fee of $5 per runner goes to support the cross country team, which includes helping pay for uniforms, T-shirts and expenses for out-of-town meets, Stacy Garcia said, a representative with the booster club.

Although the event helps support the cross country team, it's more of a community event than fundraiser, Garcia said. The participating children received finishing ribbons as well as snacks and a pumpkin to take home. Many parents and grandparents of the younger children ran alongside as the racers followed cross country members, dressed in costumes, around the designated course. Coaches Jamie Wise and Kathy Lane were also on hand cheering on runners.

Lane said the race is more about having fun than winning.

The cross country team heads to Yakima Thursday for the district meet. Lane said junior Alek Swieso, who is one of the top five runners in the district, has a good chance of making it to the state meet Nov. 9 in Pasco.