Students ran for the ultimate prize — free food from McAlister’s Deli and a month’s free car wash from Sharky’s — during NE Campus’ 5K run April 29.

NE student John Graham finished first place for the men and received a gift card to the deli. Graham’s first-place time was 21:56.

“I’m not really an avid runner,” he said. “I played lacrosse for a while at UNT. I need the extra credit, and I wanted to try the 5K.”

Participants ran three miles around the campus. Some participants took the competition seriously while most ran for the extra credit. ­­­­­­­­­

NE student Jamie Adams said she was proud of herself for completing the run and glad a breeze was blowing during the run.

“We came out here for extra credit, and we did a lot better than we thought we would,” she said. “Thank God for the wind.”

Ryan March finished second with a time of 24:43 while Garren Wilson finished third with a time of 24:56.

NE student Will McManus didn’t run for extra credit but said he wanted to show off. McManus finished first, but since he wasn’t a registered runner, his time didn’t count.

“I’m representing the running club and promoting that fitness is the way of life,” he said.

NE student Brittney Dajda finished first for the women with a time of 28:02. She said she considers herself a sprinter more than a long-distance runner. She received a month of free car washes.

“I run track,” she said. “I’ve done the 1×100, the 4×100 sprint and hurdles. I run all the time on my own.”

Bobbie Caceres finished second with a time of 30:16. Katelyn Steward finished third with a time of 35:15.

—Marley Malenfant