After running their own races at the Wheeling Invitational on Saturday, the boys and girls cross country teams decided to pay it forward by volunteering at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.

“I volunteer because it’s a great way to hang with teammates and it’s a once in a life time chance,” Drake Heisterkamp, sophomore said. “Plus not many kids get the change to do these types of activities, so when the opportunity comes around I’m sure to take advantage of it.”

An annual trip down to Chicago started off with a 4AM bus ride downtown. From there, the teams set up tables and cups of waters for the thousands of people that would be running later that day.

“My favorite part of volunteering is knowing that you’re doing selfless acts that can only help others,” Heisterkamp said.

One of the most exciting parts about volunteering is seeing former teammates, teachers, and parents, according to Caitlin Wessel, senior.

“I like seeing not only the elite runners, but also all the non professional athletes run 26.2 miles. They put in an incredible amount of training time, and it’s awesome to see them finally complete their goal,” Wessel said. “Plus, one of my friends who is in college ran this year and it was really exciting to see her.”

A personal favorite was competing within the team to see who could hand out the most water cups, according to Wessel.