BLUR OF SNEAKERS AND SMILES FILLS SOONER PARK FOR 31ST BRUIN MILE
Wayside second-grader Brooklyn Curd waves to her family while running the third-grade-and-under race. Curd won with a time of 7 minutes, 31 seconds last Wednesday at the annual Bruin Mile held at Sooner Park in Bartlesville.
ANDY DOSSETT/The Wiley Post
Young runners take off in the annual Bruin Mile held last Wednesday at Sooner Park in Bartlesville. More than 700 athletes participated in the event, which was supported by roughly 200 volunteers.
ANDY DOSSETT/The Wiley Post
By Becky Burch
Oct. 12, 2026
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
(Photos by Andy Dossett / The Wiley Post)
For 31 years, the recipe for the Bruin Mile has remained remarkably unchanged: a wide-open stretch of grass, a competitive spark, and the chaotic, beautiful sight of elementary schoolers forming a blur of sneakers, smiles and determined faces across the park.
This year, however, those young runners were also chasing whatever shade they could find. Under unseasonably hot autumn conditions, where temperatures peaked at 90 degrees around race time, a small army of 711 young runners descended upon Sooner Park in Bartlesville. They transformed the neighborhood green space into a high-energy festival of youth athletics. It is an annual tradition spearheaded by the Bartlesville Cross Country program, but fueled entirely by community endurance.
Before the first starting gun fired, a massive network of volunteers worked behind the scenes to keep the event running smoothly. Roughly 40 parents and community members handled logistics, while 160 middle and high school cross country runners from the decorated Bruin program took up their positions as "rabbits." Their job was simple yet vital: pace the race, guide the turns, and run alongside the overheated field to offer words of encouragement.
"We use whatever volunteer we can get from parents and community members," said David Ayers, the event organizer and Bartlesville cross country coach.
Ayers emphasized that having 160 of his own athletes out on the course to rabbit the race and encourage the kids along the way—especially on a hot afternoon—is a core part of the event's dynamic.
The day featured four distinct races, split by grade and gender. When the races began, the calm of Sooner Park evaporated into a blur of sneakers, flying grass, and cheers.
Wayside Elementary runners heavily populated the top places across the afternoon, claiming five of the 12 total medals. In the 3rd grade and under boys' division, Wayside completed a dominant sweep of the medal spots, led by Ezra Loafman, who captured first place with an impressive time of 6 minutes, 15.61 seconds.
The absolute fastest mark of the entire event belonged to Shane Glass of Ranch Heights, who flew through the grass to win the 4th and 5th grade boys' division in 6:04.81. On the girls' side, Jayla Peterson of Cornerstone took home the 4th and 5th grade crown with a time of 6:35.88, while Wayside’s Brooklyn Curd won the 3rd grade and under division in 7:31.02.
Whether finishing at the front of the pack or crossing the line flanked by a high school mentor offering a word of support, more than 700 kids left it all on the grass, keeping one of Bartlesville’s favorite sporting traditions running strong.
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Young runners participate in the annual Bruin Mile held last Wednesday at Sooner Park in Bartlesville. More than 700 athletes participated in the event, which was supported by roughly 200 volunteers.
ANDY DOSSETT/The Wiley Post
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RACE RESULTS
3rd Grade and Under Girls (164 runners)
1. Brooklyn Curd, Wayside (2nd grade) — 7:31.02
2. Arason Ellis, Kane (2nd grade) — 8:03.55
3. Aven Bultmann, Wayside (3rd grade) — 8:07.33
3rd Grade and Under Boys (216 runners)
1. Ezra Loafman, Wayside (3rd grade) — 6:15.61
2. Ridge Soto, Wayside (3rd grade) — 6:40.30
3. Sam Channamsetti, Wayside (3rd grade) — 7:08.58
4th and 5th Grade Girls (152 runners)
1. Jayla Peterson, Cornerstone — 6:35.88
2. Elora Powers, Wayside (4th grade) — 7:02.45
3. Bridgette Blakemore, Homeschool (5th grade) — 7:08.55
4th and 5th Grade Boys (179 runners)
1. Shane Glass, Ranch Heights (5th grade) — 6:04.81
2. Sawyer Steele, Wayside (5th grade) — 6:11.55
3. Max Lindblom, Wayside (4th grade) — 6:24.85