“Something about running on a runway almost makes you feel faster,” said Daniel Klewel.  “It’s hard to explain.”
Klewel, 5K winner of Friday night’s Run the Runway 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk.
Christina Hayes, Community Organizer with the City of Great Gend, organized the Run the Runway event in hopes of raising funds to help pay for the 2015 Great Bend Airfest, which is currently in the planning stages.
“We had over 75 Runners and walkers take the runway in efforts to help raise money,” she said. “They each had a night with the lights.”
Run the Runway has been a popular event in other major cities, but Great Bend gave it a twist.  The event was held at dusk.
 “Usually, races are held in the morning, and they are on open roads.” he said. “Running at night on a runway was really different.”
The last Great Bend Airfest was held in September, 2012, and featured  the WWII B-25 bomber, “Maid in the Shade,” as well as three P-51 jetfighters, one of which provided rides for a record number of passengers.  
According to Martin Miller, manager of the Great Bend Municipal Airport,   The frequency of Great Bend Airfest has depended on two main factors:  the availability of headliner-quality aircraft and warbirds, i.e. their touring schedule;  and the community financial support, most of which has come from private donors.
“Airfest 2015 is in the planning stages, and still awaiting warbird touring schedules,” he said.  “This event, assuming a proper level of warbird participation, will have an even broader level of entertainment and education, and will provide a significantly higher recognition of veterans and military history.”
According to Hayes, the goal is to bring  the last flying B29 to our airport along with many other warbirds and to do that there is a lot of money needing to be raised.
“The “Run the Runway” event raised only a small portion of the funds needed,” Miller said.  “Private sponsorships will remain the key element needed to display and ride the historical, vintage, and general aviation aircraft that visited us in 2012.”
Hayes hinted the success of last weekend’s event may lead to a repeat of the race in the future.