Kentucky Horse Park hosts students from around the world in robotics competition

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW via LEX NEWS) — Students from around the world gathered in Lexington for Run for the Robots on Saturday for a major robotics competition held at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Run for the Robots, taking place from May 28 to May 30, driven by Toyota, is an international FIRST Tech challenge for students as young as seventh grade.

Over 70 middle and high school teams competed throughout the weekend, showing off their skills in engineering and programming. The preparation for many teams began months before the event, with at least one team starting to build their robot back in September.

One student participant said the long hours of preparation are worth it.

“It’s a lot of technical expertise from our team members that goes into it, but once it competes on the field, once it actually works, and we can see it hardware software intertwined on there, we’re always really happy with the result. It’s always just such a thrill when you see something that you’ve put so many hours into work as well as it should, and it’s a really fun competition and a great experience,” he said.

Organizers said the weekend-long event was about more than just fun. They said it helps students gain valuable skills for potential careers in engineering.