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Young athletes prepare for the Pear Photo by Bob Pennell Jefferson Elementary School students brave the rain to get their pre-Pear Blossom workout in Tuesday. They are, from left, Devin Pool, second grade; Becky Spence, fourth grade; Jimmy Spence, sixth grade; and Joshua Martin, first grade. Mayor's Cup run attracts school teams By VICKI GUARINO Pear Blossom The first event of the day, the two-mile race, starts at 7:25 a.m. The school competition Mayor's Cup and prizes will be awarded at 8 a.m. at the City Hall flagpole. Scholarships will be awarded at 8:25. The Pear Blossom Parade begins at 11 a.m. at Court Street and Central Avenue. A day-long street fair at Alba Park begins at noon. They walk. They jog. They sprint. They do calisthenics. They even, on occasion, watch their diets. This small band of young Medford athletes intend to make their school, Jefferson Elementary, a force to contend with in next week's Pear Blossom race. The festival's early morning Mayor's Cup race through downtown Medford always draws lots of kids. The one- and two-mile run or walk event offers medals to all racers, and special bonuses for local schools. Every school that fields a team numbering at least 30 percent of enrollment gets a video tape player. Family and friends can sign up to boost their school's participation rate. The Mayor's trophy goes to the school with the highest participation. Top schools get cash awards for library books and other materials, plaques and Pear Blossom Festival flags. Some Medford schools seem to have a tradition of prize winning by getting a lot of kids to go out for the event, says Jefferson teaching assistant Jamie DeLine. To stir up that kind of enthusiasm for the race at Jefferson, DeLine decided to organize after-school race warmup sessions. Kids who signed up early -- back in February -- got candy bars. Everyone gets the workouts, joined by resource teacher Candice Julian. Julian is a runner; DeLine walks. Their team of grade schoolers does a little of both. Some, like fourth-grader Becky Spence, are Pear Blossom veterans. She has come home with medals for participating in the Mayor's Cup. Others, like second-grader Martin Lopez, are rank beginners out to test themselves. "I wanted to see how I can do," says Martin. Every Tuesday and Friday afternoon since the end of February the small group gathers in the park opposite the school, on a marked, one-mile path. And during lunch, DeLine checks to make sure vegetables get eaten. The cold and rain of early spring hasn't chilled the spirits of runners such as fifth-grader David Patterson. "I ride my bicycle in it," he says. What's difficult, he says, is going the distance. "After a mile it's hard -- my chest hurts." Second-grader Devin Pool breaks into a walk from time to time. "10 miles?" she repeats incredulously when DeLine mentions some of the greater distances racers will be running on festival day. The Jefferson contingent will be among more than 4,000 runners and walkers participating in the Pear Blossom Festival's early morning races April 10. In addition to mile and two-mile events, there will be five-kilometer and 10-mile runs. All races start and finish at Medford City Hall. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA