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Hope Runs in Every Hue 5K Brings Color and Community to Canton

Hope Runs in Every Hue 5K Brings Color and Community to Canton

By: Landyn Empet | SportzWire | August 10, 2026 | Photo courtesy Landyn Empet

CANTON, PA — Runners and walkers of all ages packed into Canton Area High School Saturday morning for the "Hope Runs in Every Hue" 5K Color Run/Walk. Sign-in kicked off at 8 a.m., and by 9, 140 participants were off and running for a cause that hits close to home for a lot of families in the area.

Every dollar raised goes to Kids Can't Fight Cancer Alone (KCFCA), a group that supports families dealing with pediatric cancer. And with Falcon Race Timing on hand to keep things official, the top runners put down some legitimately fast times, color run or not.

The Senior Behind the Race

Pulling off a 5K takes serious organization, and Canton Area senior Stella Rockwell handled it. Rockwell isn't just planning events on the side either. She's a guard for the Canton Warriors girls basketball team, which finished 14-4 last season. She earned player of the game honors in a win over Wellsboro and drilled a fourth-quarter three that helped swing a tense playoff battle against Southern Columbia in Canton's favor. Whatever competitive edge she brings to the court clearly carried over into race day.

Landon Lake Leads the Pack

Landon Lake, a 17-year-old from Roaring Branch, crossed the line first with a time of 21:06.42. Frank Harper, 18, of Granville Summit, wasn't far behind in second at 23:24.07. Rounding out the top three, and taking the women's title, was 25-year-old Samantha Proseus of Canton, who finished at 23:37.91.

Lake's win didn't come out of nowhere. He runs cross country for Canton Area and competes in PIAA District 4 every fall. Last season he posted a personal-best 5K of 19:19.20 at the NTL Coaches' Invitational, good for 19th overall. He also out-leaned Wyalusing's Cody Tuttle for sixth place earlier that year, finishing in 21:00, right around the pace he ran to win Saturday. On top of cross country, Lake runs track for the Warriors and took third in the 400 this spring with a 57.91.

Full Age Group Results

Boys, Ages 1-18

Landon Lake, 17 — 21:06.42
Frank Harper, 18 — 23:24.07
Henry Proseus, 16 — 26:25.88

Girls, Ages 1-18

Danah Wesneski, 17 — 32:04.07
Abigail Coxhead, 13 — 32:55.04
Zyra Hughson, 15 — 34:52.63

Men, Ages 19-99

Dennis Saar, 25 — 24:10.66
Jake Brown, 19 — 26:23.47
Kristopher West, 49 — 28:37.00

Women, Ages 19-99

Samantha Proseus, 25 — 23:37.91
Shannon Gleckner, 34 — 29:28.09
Kendall Kitchen, 20 — 31:13.67

Familiar Faces From Canton Athletics

A handful of other Canton athletes showed up in the results too. Danah Wesneski and Henry Proseus both compete on the Warriors track team. And Kendall Kitchen, who finished third among the women, is no stranger to big moments. She became Canton's fourth-ever 1,000-point scorer in girls basketball and picked up a state medal in pole vault this past spring.

Running for a Reason

At the end of the day, the times and the trophies were only part of the story. Every dollar raised at the "Hope Runs in Every Hue" 5K goes straight to Kids Can't Fight Cancer Alone, supporting kids and families facing pediatric cancer. Add in the color, the crowd, and a competitive field led by a hometown runner, and it made for a strong morning for Canton, both on the course and off it.