Mushroom Cap Hosts Tenth Anniversary Run

On November 8, the Mushroom Cap Run held its tenth anniversary run, featuring two races: a 13.1-mile half marathon for the Mushroom Cap and a five-mile FUNGI Five Miler. Runners could choose either, and both trails ran through parts of Kennett Square, showcasing local neighborhoods, historical landmarks, and mushroom farms. The race began at 600 South Broad Street in the Genesis Parking Lot.

Several organizations supported the event. The corporate sponsor for this year was Chatham Financial. Other local sponsors included Victory, Pollock, Launch Design Collective, Raffuele D. Casale Events Enterprise, and the Market. The race was made possible thanks to the community’s support.

High school staff volunteered at the event, including English teacher Mrs. Katie Deldotto and Assistant Principal Ms. Natalie Carter. Both of them stood between miles nine and ten, handing out water to the runners and playing “Britney Spears workout music.” “[The run] was really fun. It was a great day… everyone was in a good mood,” said Carter. “I brought extra layers in my car…[but] I didn't need them.”

Carter said that the weather was nice – sunny, not too cold, and not raining. She detailed her favorite memory being seeing little kids cheering for their parents who were running the race, and how the mom stopped running just to hug her child. “Once you stop running, it's really hard to start back up…it was really sweet,” said Carter. She also mentioned seeing a middle school student cheering for the runners with a poster that had a “6-7" joke.

A veteran of the Philadelphia Broad Street Run, Carter said she wanted to bring that same energy to the Mushroom Cap while giving back to the community. Carter was surprised to see pacers, experienced runners who led other runners to finish at a specific time, since they had to hold signs while running 13.1 miles. Looking ahead, she hopes the high school’s Cross Country members will volunteer next year to continue the local tradition.