TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Leon County Schools received a $10,000 check from the county Tuesday amid success from the World Athletics Cross Country Championships hosted in Leon County earlier this year.
The money donated came from a portion of ticket sales and Fun Run registration, according to Leon County officials. The $10,000 will now go directly to middle and high school Cross Country and Track and Field programs with Leon County Schools.
“This helps us to help in that process with developing our scholars, not necessarily just in the classroom, but out of the classroom as well,” Benny Bolden, Jr. said. He’s the director of Interdivisional Support Services and Secondary Education with the school district.
The check presentation was held at Montford Middle School, who are four-time back-to-back county champion for boys cross country. The girls’ team also earned the title in 2025.
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“If I have a hard day or something doesn’t go how I wanted it to, running makes me feel better about it,” Montford Middle School student Isaiah Renn said. “It’s almost like my meditation.”
He participated in the Fun Run at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships and he said he’s grateful to see his sport getting more recognition.
“I play soccer, too, but just the World Cross Country Championships, that’s my World Cup. That’s my Super Bowl,” Renn said.
He has younger siblings who also enjoy running, so he said the $10,000 investment will go a long way for him, his family, and his teammates.
“I have no words. It’s just awesome,” Renn said.
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