Thirteen Hyde School runners took off in the dark and cold early in the morning Nov. 16 on a 208-mile relay race to Hyde’s sister school in Woodstock, Conn.

Beginning at 5 a.m., the group departed Bath and took turns running five miles each in relay-style fashion until they reached Hyde-Woodstock the next day.

The students, faculty and staff ran through the day and night and part of the next day, arriving in Woodstock 29 hours and 48 minutes later — a full seven hours before scheduled.

Each runner covered an average cumulative distance of 15 miles.

The purpose of the run was to raise money for a local foundation, the Bath Food Mobile, a program administered by Grace Episcopal Church that offers free food to needy families in the Midcoast area.

The goal of participants was to raise $1,000, which covers the cost of one of the monthly trucks.

The outcome far surpassed that goal — raising $4,237 which was donated directly to the Good Shepherd Food Bank on behalf of the Bath Food Mobile.

“Watching these kids give up the first two days of their Thanksgiving break to run 209 miles for charity is really what ‘Phoenix pride’ is all about,” said Peter Rowe, a faculty member and track coach at Hyde. “It was such a positive experience.”

A ceremony on the Hyde Bath campus was to present the check for the funds to officials of the Bath Food Mobile.