Runners Turn Out At Triton To “Finish For Bre”
BOURBON — As Bethany Tyler approached the finish line, her eyes began welling with tears. As she crossed it, she couldn’t contain her emotion any longer, and she broke down, sobbing.
It wasn’t the end of her own 13.1-mile run that filled her with so much sentiment but what it represented — the last step in a journey her little sister, Breanna Lemler, began more than a year ago, a journey she was never able to finish after she passed in an automobile accident at the young age of 21.
It was a bittersweet moment for Tyler at Bre’s Run, a race memorializing Lemler at Triton High School Saturday.
“For me it means I got to finish it for her. She didn’t get to do it before she passed away,” she said.
Bre’s Run took place two days before the one-year anniversary of Lemler’s passing. The Class of 2013 Triton alum was still in training for a mini-marathon when her life was cut short on a Sunday morning in Alabama, and volunteers at Saturday’s event wore shirts with the words “Finish for Bre” printed across the back. The run was the brainchild of Courtney Jennings, a 2017 THS grad, who knew Lemler from an early age through her sisters, Mallory and Hannah, who played sports with the standout athlete during their time at Triton. When she was asked to design a community service project by the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy, it didn’t take long for Jennings to come up with the idea for the run.
“She connected with everyone everywhere she went. She made such an impact on our community. There are so many people that she touched personally that miss her greatly,” said Jennings. “It was such a surprise when she passed away; it just touched everyone. It’s something that I wanted to do because everyone needs to remember her.
“She made such an impact on everyone so there’s no way that anyone will forget that, but it’s just a good time for everyone to get together and share memories.”
While the 13.1-mile run was designed to honor Lemler, Jennings knew the distance would drive away some would-be participants, so Saturday’s event also included a 5K race and a fun run. There was also a raffle, and concessions were sold at the Ernie Watkins Pavilion outside the Triton track and football field while music played over loudspeakers. Proceeds from the event will go toward the Breanna Lemler Scholarship fund.
“She was in the middle of training for Purdue’s mini-marathon so I wanted to do that,” Jennings explained. “I knew not everyone would want to run 13.1 miles because it’s a long way so I did a 5K and a fun run for everyone that just wanted to run but didn’t want to go very far. The raffle items are for people that don’t want to run at all but still want to participate and help out. It was just something for everyone.”
Although Bre’s Run included races of three different distances, all three finished up on the quarter-mile track at Triton. It was a detail that, like the 13.1-mile feature race, was designed to honor Lemler, who still holds the 400-meter record at THS.
“Since she still held the record I wanted something else that was a part of her to be in the race. It was just so perfect that we could use the concession stand, and everything could be right here,” Jennings said. “It was just a great way to bring back a memory that she still holds that record.”
Bre’s brother Blake, who ran in the 5K Saturday, agreed that the Triton track was an ideal setting to finish the runs.
“There is no better way to finish this than where she was always finishing,” he said.
While Jennings was concerned the 13.1-mile distance of a mini-marathon might drive some away, a full 40 runners showed up to complete the long run Saturday. Some were veteran racers, but most were casual runners whose only goal was to honor Bre’s memory.
“I felt like I hadn’t done a half in a long time, and if Bre was training for it, surely I can put in a few extra miles and run it in her memory and finish where I finish,” said Justina Faulkner, a former coach of Bre’s who clocked an impressive 1:29.26 to win the mini-marathon, a little under a minute ahead of runner-up Todd Hoffer. “I feel like I really can’t race a half a marathon; you just go out to try to finish. Most of these people that are out here, they’re not real runners: They don’t go out and run every weekend. But it’s neat to see some of these people that you don’t think they’d run, but they’re out here supporting what one of her dreams was. It’s pretty cool.”
All told, 168 runners took part in the three runs Saturday, and countless others showed up for the raffle or simply to show support. It was a testament to the impact Bre left on the community of Bourbon and beyond over a life cut too short.
“It’s nice to see the community come together a year after. A lot of people still showed up and showed support,” said Blake. “Obviously, all the proceeds go toward the scholarship fund, which is going to help a lot down the road and hopefully give other kids the opportunity to get an education someday.”
“It’s just amazing,” echoed Tyler of Saturday’s turnout. “She touched so many lives in her 21 years. It’s great to know that this money will go to the scholarship that, as of right now, will go on forever. It’ll never end.”