Pella Christian Hosting Final Gene Van Wyk Memorial Run Next Month

The 19th annual race will be the last, transitioning to a bench press competition to honor the longtime guidance counselor's legacy.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 2:45pm

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Pella Christian High School will host the 19th and final Gene Van Wyk 5k Memorial Run/Walk on April 4th, 2026. The event has been held annually to remember a longtime guidance counselor, but organizers have decided to transition the memorial to a bench press competition to better reflect Gene Van Wyk's passion for weightlifting and advocacy for school weightlifting programs.

Why it matters

The Gene Van Wyk Memorial has been a cherished community event for nearly two decades, honoring the life and legacy of a beloved educator. By transitioning the memorial to a bench press competition, the organizers hope to keep Van Wyk's memory alive while also highlighting his pioneering work in high school weightlifting.

The details

The final 5k run/walk will be held on April 4th, 2026, with packet pickup starting at 8am, announcements at 8:40am, and the race beginning at 9am on Eagle Lane. After this year, the Gene Van Wyk Memorial will shift to a bench press competition, an idea proposed by Van Wyk's brother Russ to better reflect the late counselor's passion for weightlifting and his efforts to establish a weightlifting program at Pella Christian High School.

  • The 19th Annual Gene Van Wyk 5k Memorial Run/Walk will be held on Saturday, April 4th, 2026.
  • Packet pickup for the race will begin at 8am on April 4th, 2026.
  • Announcements will take place at 8:40am on April 4th, 2026.
  • The race will start at 9am on April 4th, 2026.

The players

Gene Van Wyk

A longtime guidance counselor at Pella Christian High School who founded the school's weightlifting program and was an early advocate for organized school weightlifting tournaments.

Sandra Fancher

An organizer of the Gene Van Wyk Memorial who helped transition the event from a 5k run/walk to a bench press competition.

Russ Van Wyk

The brother of Gene Van Wyk who proposed the idea of transitioning the memorial to a bench press competition.

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What they’re saying

“I'll just take you back about a year ago. Russ called me, which can be a little scary, and said 'I have this idea.' And I was like, oh boy, and he goes, 'let's do a weight lifting or bench press competition.'”

— Sandra Fancher, Memorial Organizer

“I told him, 'I know nothing about that Russ, nothing at all. But he kind of set in motion that maybe that's the next transition for the Gene Van Wyk Memorial, that it needs to be a bench press, and I said well let's run this for a couple years together and see how this works.”

— Sandra Fancher, Memorial Organizer

What’s next

After this year's 19th annual 5k run/walk, the Gene Van Wyk Memorial will transition to a bench press competition to honor the late counselor's legacy.

The takeaway

The Gene Van Wyk Memorial has evolved over nearly two decades to continue celebrating the life and impact of a beloved educator. By transitioning the event to a bench press competition, the organizers hope to keep Van Wyk's memory alive while also highlighting his pioneering work in establishing a high school weightlifting program.