Farmington

Girl, 10, runs 10k and raises $1,000

By David Wallace
C & G Staff Writer

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Farmington Hills resident Lynn Lerner, 10, departs Shiawassee Park as she begins her 10k race with her running partner, Karrie Lyons, during the Farmington Run for the Hills Aug. 21. Lyons is Lerner’s former teacher.

Run for the Hills attracts 400 racers

FARMINGTON — Lynn Lerner’s experience at the Farmington Run for the Hills was a 10.

A 10-year-old Farmington Hills resident, Lerner ran 10 kilometers. She also raised $1,000 — $1,035, to be exact — to donate to Special Olympics Oakland County.

This was her first 10k.

“Her first run was last month in the Founders Festival 4-mile run, and she did really great there, and she wanted to try something longer and raise some money for charity,” said her dad, Richard Lerner.

“I wanted to do something a little bit more difficult, and I guess it’s a good idea to just raise money for children in need,” said Lynn.

She put together a website to gather the donations.

“I asked all my friends if they could donate to me, and then I told my parents to call everyone they knew and see if they would donate,” said Lynn.

“It’s quite amazing what she accomplished,” said Maureen McCarthy, Lynn’s mother. This was Lynn’s second major charitable act this summer, after she and her mother each donated more than a foot of their hair to Children With Hairloss, a Michigan organization that provides hair replacements to kids with medically related hair loss.

“I think there’s a lot of personal satisfaction in accomplishing something you’ve never done before and raising money for a good cause at the same time,” said Richard.

Lynn’s fourth-grade teacher, Karrie Lyons, ran the 10k alongside her student. They finished in 1:09:10, which won Lynn’s 15-and-under female age group.

“It’s so much easier running with a partner, especially a student. We had lots to catch up on,” said Lyons.

“When you’re alone, you, like, stop, because there’s nobody there to tell you to keep on going,” said Lynn.

She said thoughts of quitting never entered her mind.

“The most challenging part was probably the uphill — there was a lot of uphill,” said Lynn.

With school reconfiguration, Lyons will teach fifth-grade at Warner Upper Elementary School this fall. Coincidentally, that is Lynn’s new school, now that she is a fifth-grader. There’s talk of forming a running club.

After observing Lynn during a school year, Lyons said, Lynn has “an amazing sense of humor” and many outstanding qualities. Still, she singled out one quality that puts everything in context.

“Her kindness towards others — it’s not just for the charities, it’s with her classmates and teachers, and it’s contagious,” said Lyons.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer David Wallace at dwallace@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1053.