Promoting Wellness and Building Community One Race at a Time

Posted on Jul 10, 2025, by

This will be my first year running in the Community First Fox Cities Marathon. I’ve run one marathon before, but it has been almost two decades since I ran a full 26.2 miles. I was in my 20’s then, and now I am in my 40’s, but I’m excited to tackle this distance because I know what to expect on the course.

My name is Mike Slowinski and I am the superintendent for the Kaukauna Area School District (KASD). I’ve run in the ThedaCare Half Marathon multiple times and feel more comfortable with a13.1-mile distance, but I wanted to challenge myself this year and prove to myself that I can still do a full marathon.

I love how community-focused all of the Community First Fox Cities Marathon Presented by Miron Construction events are. Not only am I participating in the full marathon distance, but several of my colleagues in the Kaukauna Area School District are also participating in various activities as part of the Amcor Healthy Business Challenge. The business challenge is a great way to create a little friendly competition amongst our peers (Kimberly and Neenah School Districts, I’m talking to you! 🙂) and encourage healthy living and wellness programs within our organization.

I, as well as several members of the KASD staff, will train and run together. It allows for team building and encouragement among our staff, and it is so much fun.

Even better than training with my peers and getting to run the beautiful trails in and around Kaukauna, is seeing so many of our students out on the course and participating in various events. The Kaukauna High School choir often sings the National Anthem for the Guardian Kids Fun Run, and multiple Kaukauna staff and students have submitted videos for members of our business challenge team to the Sure-Dry Shoutout Board. The cross-country team will often work at a water station or two out on the full and half marathon courses on race day and our dance team is out there encouraging and cheering on runners on the course each year.

I see so many parents, students and staff volunteering along the course and it is such a huge pick-me-up when I see friends and neighbors out there too. Even those I don’t know personally, seeing that Kaukauna orange and black boosts my morale. I will often wear my Kaukauna logoed gear and colors when I run. Seeing the students do a double-take and realize someone from their school is out on the course is so much fun. Their faces lighting up motivates me to keep going.

This is for the community and that is what makes it so special. You don’t have to be an experienced runner to feel connected and supported with any of the events offered throughout race weekend. I will be tackling my first full marathon in almost two decades, and I can’t wait to see all the support that will be there waiting for me. From Kaukauna students cheering for the community and my wife and our two sons as I cross the finish line, I look forward to seeing you on race day. I will be one of the many “Galloping Ghosts” you will see in orange and black!

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