It took disappointment to enlighten Stefanie Howard.

The talented Shelbyville High School senior cross country and track and field distance runner felt failure at not breaking the Golden Bears’ cross country record in the fall of 2021. Putting her name on the record board was to be about her lasting legacy.

When she didn’t accomplish the goal, she was forced to reconsider that legacy which includes being a back-to-back semistate-qualifying cross country athlete.

“I was feeling rejection and failure for awhile,” she said. “Then I was like, ‘You know what?’ A record means nothing in the grand scheme of things. My name could be replaced in a couple of years. It really means nothing. It’s not like my name would be there forever. I wanted something more than just my name on a record board so I came up with the idea for a 5K race.”

Howard is the lead organizer for the Tree Trot 5K Run/Walk that will take place Saturday at Blue River Memorial Park, 725 Lee Boulevard, in Shelbyville.

The 5K starts at 8:15 a.m. and is a fundraiser event to purchase big trees that will be planted along the cross country course at Blue River Memorial Park, which serves as home for Shelbyville’s cross country program and is a host site for high school, college and amateur events.

When the idea was presented to her to purchase trees for the course, Howard was excited.

“That is perfect!” she said knowing the trees will eventually provide shade along the course for runners and contribute to the local watershed.

Once planted, Howard will have the legacy she so desired. After graduation, she can return to the public course and monitor the tree growth knowing she brought them there.

“A few years ago, I volunteered at a tree trot and I took a tree home and it is still in my dad’s backyard,” said Howard. “It’s growing strong and growing so fast.”

Age group winners Saturday will have the same opportunity as they are presented with potted tree saplings. The top three overall finishers will receive homemade medals.

Age groups are 10-and-under, 11-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-80, 80-and-over.

Pre-registration is $30 (T-shirt included) and ends Thursday. Go online to http://getmeregistered.com/TreeTrot5k to sign up.

Race-day registration begins at 7 a.m. Saturday at the Blue River Memorial Park shelter house. The cost is $35. T-shirts are not guaranteed.

For those who opt to walk the “Tree Trot,” a member of Master Gardeners, a local environment advocate group, will lead an informative overview of the Little Blue River watershed at the park.

In a few months, Howard will be headed to California for college but she knows there will be plenty of opportunities to return home to run at the Blue River Memorial Park course.

“I know the Jacob James 5K is in the summer (June) and I will definitely try to race that every year,” she said.

And rather than have her name on a record board, Stefanie Howard will have a visible legacy of large trees towering over future cross country runners competing in Shelbyville.

Now that’s a lasting legacy.