Any track and field parent knows all too well the experience of waiting around at a track meet for four hours only to watch their child compete for 19 seconds. Overbrook Catholic School is taking strides to change that, creating an event that is an engaging experience for all, in about the time it takes to watch a full-length movie. 

On April 19, 2026, Overbrook Catholic piloted its inaugural “Enneatholon,” a nine-event meet that consisted of the Turbo Javelin, Shot Put, Long Jump, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1600m, and the 4x100 relay. In total, 56 students across grades 1–6 participated in the event, making it a school-wide celebration of track and field. 

Inspired by the professional Diamond League Series, OCS Track & Field Coach Lara Kierlin set out to design a fast-paced, two-and-a-half-hour event that would be both competitive and engaging for athletes and families alike. 

“We decided that we would counter the frustration of kids being limited to a small number of events—or not being allowed to compete in certain events at all--by allowing all kids to enter all the events and still finish within 2.5 hours,” Coach Kierlin shared.  

The theme for Overbrook Catholic’s Track and Field program this year has been “work hard, play hard,” a motto fully embodied by the 15 student-athletes who completed the full nine-event enneatholon in just two and a half hours. This is an incredible feat of endurance, focus, and versatility, especially when compared to the 10-event decathlon, widely regarded as one of track and field’s most demanding competitions, which unfolds over the course of two days at the professional level. 

Adding a fun “Music City” twist to the event, all student-athletes who broke their personal record in any event were awarded a vinyl record to smash on the track in celebration. 

This enneatholon was a pilot project for Overbrook Catholic School, open exclusively to its own students, with hopes of expanding to include other schools in the future. The event’s strong participation and positive energy highlighted a new model for youth track and field: one that prioritizes engagement, accessibility, and joy while still honoring the spirit of competition.