The 28th Annual RRCA State Championship Winter Flight 8K is set for Saturday. The Road Runners Club of America has chosen this event to honor the best 8K runners from North Carolina and the surrounding states.
There will be a half-mile fun run for children ages 12 and under. New this year is a 5K health walk. All events start and finish at Catawba College. The fun run will start at 9:30 a.m., followed by the 8K run and 5K health walk at 10 a.m.
An 8K race is about 5 miles. A 5K is just over 3 miles.
Anyone who wants to participate and hasnít already signed up can register Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. at Goodman Gym on the Catawba College campus. Fees are $30 for the 8K, $25 for the 5K health walk, and $10 for the half-mile fun run.
All participants in the 8K and 5K walk will receive a commemorative long-sleeve, dri-fit technical shirt.
Special 8K awards will go to the overall male and female winners, overall male and female masters (age 40 and over), overall male and female grandmasters (age 50 and over), and overall male and female senior grandmasters (age 60 and over). These awards are N.C. State Championship plaques.
Other awards will be given to the top three male and female participants in each of 13 age groups.
Fun run awards go to the top three overall finishers. All others will receive a finisherís medal. Pre-registered fun runners will get a cotton T-shirt. The 5K health walk is not competitive and will not be timed. All finishers can see their times.
Additional cash prizes include $250 for breaking the course record. The male course record is 23:35, set by Dutch Olympian Hans Koeleman in 1988. The female course record was set by Olympian Joan Nesbit of Chapel Hill in 1992 with a time of 26:48.
Other cash awards are $100 to the first male and female finisher, $25 to the first male and female to the 1 mile mark, and $25 to the first male and female finishers from Rowan County.
The Salisbury Rowan Runners will provide timing and scoring.
All proceeds will go to Rowan Helping Ministries.
For additional information, call 704-310-6741 or visit www.salisburyrowanrunners.org