SEAL BEACH, Calif. – It’s a brisk spring morning for Saturday, April 5, but as the sun rises over Old Town Seal Beach, thousands of race participants crowded on the streets begin to feel the warmth of excitement for the day’s events. Locals gather on the sidewalks to watch the first race of the morning, the Kids Fun Run, kick off Run Seal Beach 2025.
At around 7 a.m., hundreds of kids ages 3-10 stand at the starting line, eager to run a thrilling 1k, with many of them doing so for the first time. They are not running alone, as Los Alamitos High School football players wearing red jerseys also stand behind the line, preparing to race alongside the kids.
“For us, it’s a chance to build a relationship with (the kids) and get them to feel comfortable about (the race). (The fact that) we are in our jerseys gives the parents some confidence in that,” Coach Fenton, head of the LAHS football program, said.
At 7:30 a.m., with the sound of an air horn and a blast of confetti, hundreds of young racers took off running with the high school football team as the surrounding crowd cheered. Kids and football boys took the lead down First St., turned left on Ocean Ave. and made their way toward the finish line at the Seal Beach Pier. As a reward for completing the race, kids could enjoy a Fun Zone full of games and activities and were each given a finisher’s ribbon.
Although running with little kids in a race seemed like a silly task, this is just one of the many ways the LAHS football team can show up for their community.
“With great blessings comes great responsibilities; a lot of people recognize your school by your football team, and we take that seriously,” Coach Fenton said.
Despite the short run, LAHS football team members embraced the event with enthusiasm and energy.
Following the Kids Fun Run, teenage and adult racers came zooming past the Seal Beach Pier during the 5k and 10k races to complete their laps and finish their races. The boy’s football team stayed to help for the rest of the Run Seal Beach even, leaning over the sideline barriers to high-five race participants, toss water bottles and cheer on the runners. LAHS girls lacrosse was also spotted handing out medals and snacks to the race finishers.
“I think it’s awesome to cheer on these people and give back to the community. Everyone’s just really nice and helping out,” Madeline Sila, a sophomore in the lacrosse program, said.
Run Seal Beach isn’t just a fun way to get some exercise. Tim Kelsey, vice president of Run Seal Beach, shared that for the last 20 years, the event has also succeeded in raising over $2 million for the Seal Beach and Los Alamitos communities. With thousands of volunteers and participants, whether it’s a small family or a local high school football team, people from all over the area are impacted.
“It’s a great event to raise money for our community and our football team. It’s also good team bonding with the kids here in our community,” Johnny Howze, an LAHS junior in football, said
With an enthusiastic spirit, the LAHS football team both added thrilling energy to Run Seal Beach and also fostered a deeper connection with the community and local kids, demonstrating their commitment both on and off the field.
