This fall, on September 8, tie up your running shoes, and support sports at North Kingstown High School by running or walking in the NK5K!  The annual race is always a fun experience, with kids’ races on the track to start off the day, then the 5K, and then, of course, delicious snacks and prizes to wrap up a great day. 

Proceeds from the event support sports at the high school, and for the past few years have also supported the winter musical.  All runners get a goody bag with coupons, a t-shirt, and other various items and are treated to a wonderful array of snacks, including pizza, bagels, fruit, and many other things.

Kids can also run in their own races on the track.  Boys and girls run separately, and children ages one to five run 100 meters, ages six to nine run 400 meters, and ages ten to thirteen run 800 meters.  The announcer and screaming crowd build up so much excitement that even the youngest racers can get pumped about running.  Prizes are awarded to the top finishers, and the volunteers make sure that all the kids have fun during the race.

The big event, the 5K, begins in front of the high school, and is very exciting.  All non-participants show up at the starting line to cheer on their friends, and when the race begins, and everyone charges forward, you can barely hear yourself think above the cheers and pounding feet.  The race is well-marked, and volunteers from the various sports and clubs that benefit from the funding are placed along the route to show the way and cheer for the runners.  As the race finishes, every runner’s name is announced as they run onto the track towards the finish line.  The top three men and women in each age group receive awards, as does the winning team.

Teams of families, corporations, gyms, and YMCAs run as well.  Any number of people can be on any given team, and the top three finishers from the team can score by time.  The winning team will also receive a prize.

You can register online and through the mail for the NK5K.  For more information about registration and fees, see http://nk5k.net/info/.  So, save the date, September 8, and support North Kingstown sports teams by running or walking in the NK5K!  It’s a great day of healthy exercising, meeting with friends, friendly competition, and lots of fun!