KANNAPOLIS — The North Carolina Research Campus will host the third Nutrithon on Saturday.
Sponsored by the Kannapolis Rotary Club, proceeds from the event go to fund construction of the Rotary House, to be used by visiting students and researchers working on their doctoral degrees at the Research Campus.
Last year’s Nutrithon raised more than $30,000.
The events begin at 7:45 a.m. with simultaneous 5K and 8k runs around the Research Campus and the city’s greenways.
At 9 a.m., the Nutrithon’s signature duathlon will begin. It consists of a 5K run through downtown and on the greenways, a 25K bicycle course through the countryside, and a final 3K sprint run to the finish line.
All participants get a T-shirt and refreshments.
“We are so excited to have received the support of the city of Kannapolis, our local businesses, and most of all, the running and cycling community,” William “Whit” Whitley, chairman of the Nutrithon committee, said in a news release.
He said the charity races have raised tens of thousands of dollars toward the goal of constructing living quarters for visiting students. Many of those students already have apartments or houses elsewhere and can’t afford another rent during the months they spend working at the Research Campus.
The Rotary Club and the Research Campus ask residents to use caution as they drive through downtown between 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday. Ridge Avenue and Main Street between Loop Road and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard in downtown Kannapolis will be closed to vehicle traffic during the foot races.
Also, about 16 miles of roads around Kannapolis will be in use for the bike race, including parts of Mooresville Road, Unity Church Road, Karriker Road, Wright Road and West C Street.
Organizers say drivers should avoid those roads if possible between 9 a.m. and noon. Volunteers will be putting out signs starting this afternoon to show the run and bike routes. Residents living along the routes are asked not to remove the signs. They will be removed by volunteers Saturday afternoon following the race.
The Nutrithon is also a way to find out more about the ongoing research studies and clinical trials at the Research Campus.