Over 1,000 students, staff, faculty and alumni braved the damp and the drizzle Friday afternoon to try to raise undergraduate scholarship money and defeat Chancellor Robert Dynes on the course of the fifth annual Chancellor’s 5K Challenge on Oct. 27
Dynes kicked off the race by announcing “”Let’s go do it,”” and participants flocked to the starting point at RIMAC Field. Corporate and individual sponsors helped to raise funds for undergraduate scholarships.
Dynes and his wife, professor Frances Dynes-Hellman, donated $25 for every person who beat Dynes and for every woman who passed Dynes-Hellman. The event raised approximately $178,000, an increase from last year’s total of $158,000.
Dynes placed 123rd in the competition with a time of 22:10 and Dynes-Hellman placed 22nd among the women, prompting Dynes to speculate that their combined personal contribution toward undergraduate scholarships will be $3,600.
The course started at RIMAC Field and continued in a loop that encompassed much of the campus and Library Walk.
Freshman Amy Ruff, a member of the women’s basketball team, found the course challenging yet rewarding.
“”I felt the race went pretty well,”” Ruff said. “”I got a little discouraged when all these people who were older than me passed me in the Eucalyptus Grove, but I went on to finish.””
The chancellor and the A.S. president compete annually.
“”My motivation was to beat Doc,”” said Dynes of his competition with A.S. President Doc Khaleghi.
The stakes in this year’s competition between the two stated that if Dynes beat Khaleghi, Dynes would help support the A.S. Council barbeque, and the reverse outcome would result in Khaleghi washing Dynes’ car.
“”I’m sorry to tell you there will be no barbeque — maybe next year … but [the students] should start training,”” said Dynes, referring to his victory over Khaleghi.
UCSD sports teams banded together to compete in the race. A handful of competitors dressed in Halloween costumes such as Elvis, a human pumpkin and a man sporting a large diaper.
The spirit of competition was also represented by one coed student team whose members boasted the threat “”Dynes is Mynes”” written in black ink across their chests.
The female student winners were Sally Anderson, coming in first, and second-place winner Melanie Tormos.
The male student winners included James Nielson in first place and Nathan Garcia in second.