Taking spring in stride
Spring is here, and that means it is time to take advantage of the outdoors before the summer heat sets in. During the month of May, there are many opportunities to run for fun, walk for a good cause or run in remembrance.
Here are a few of the local races you can take part in:
6th Annual Run for Kids Challenge
► Saturday, May 7, at 7 a.m.
► Oak Mountain State Park
►southeasterntrailruns.com/RunforKidsChallenge.html
As part of the Southeastern Trail Series, the 6th Annual Run for Kids Challenge presents multiple race options including a 10K, 50K and 12-hour race.
All proceeds from the races will go to support Camp Smile-A-Mile, an organization which provides year-round programming and summer camp sessions for children battling cancer in addition to offering support for their families.
The three races will kick off May 7 at 7 a.m. The 12-hour Race Challenge invites runners to go as far as possible in 12 hours, and the 50K Trail Race will circle part of the lake trail and Rattlesnake Ridge Trail for nine laps.
The 10K Challenge is the fun event of the day and included two laps around the lake trail and Rattlesnake Ridge Trail, but runners are allowed to continue running up to the 12-hour cutoff if they choose.
Awards will be presented at the end of the 10K and 50K races.
Registration costs are $35 for the 10K, $65 for the 50K and $85 for the 12-hour race; prices go up to $40, $75 and $95, respectively, after April 30.
Great Strides Walk – Birmingham Metro
► Saturday, May 14, at 10 a.m.
► Veterans Park
The Alabama chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will host its annual fundraiser, the Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis, at Veterans Park in Hoover on May 14. Check-in is scheduled for 9 a.m. and the walk for 10 a.m.
The Great Strides Walk raises money to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis (CF), a life-threatening genetic disease that attacks the lungs and digestive systems of about 30,000 American children and adults. The event also raises money for patient support efforts and serves to educate people about CF.
Natalie Lowery, a member of the “Spring for Autumn” team, said her family got involved with the Great Strides Walk because her daughter, Autumn, has CF. She was diagnosed as a baby, but Lowery said their family waiting until Autumn was 4 years old to participate.
There is no registration fee, but the chapter encourages all participants to make a donation, either when signing up online or at the walk, according to Jennifer McEuen, Alabama chapter associate executive director. Participants can also form walk teams at work, through organizations or with friends and family.
“It’s just really great to show up and see how many people are coming out, supporting us and supporting our mission,” Lowery said.
The walk is family-friendly, with music, team photos, a lunch served after the walk and activities for kids, including crafts and clowns making balloon hats, flowers and fun shapes.
There will also be a speaker, according to organizers — Dr. Steven Rowe, director of the Gregory Fleming James Cystic Fibrosis Research Center in Birmingham. The event also includes information about CF to families and those seeking more information in general, Lowery said.
“It’s a great educational opportunity because a lot of people don’t know about it,” Lowery said. “And a lot of people have outdated information.”
Great Strides began in 1989 and, in 2015, walks held in Alabama raised about $530,000 for the care and cure of CF, according to McEuen.
To get more information, call 870-8565 or go to cff.org/greatstrides. At the website, enter your zip code to find the Birmingham walk.
Memorial Day Trail Races
► Saturday, May 28, at 8 a.m.
► Oak Mountain State Park
► southeasterntrailruns.com/STS-Race3-May25.html
The fourth race in the Mountain High Outfitters Southeastern Trail Series, the 6- and 12-mile Memorial Day Trail Races will take runners on Oak Mountain State Park’s Yellow and White trails and up the crest of Double Oak Mountain. Runners should come prepared for hills, according to the event website.
The total course is a 6.21-mile loop with a total elevation gain of 1,219 feet for the 6-mile and 2,438 feet for the 12-mile race.
Registration is $35 before May 20, $40 after for the 6-mile race, and $40 before May 20 or $45 after for the 12-mile race. Runners can register online, and there will be late registration on the day before and morning of the race.
All preregistered participants will receive shirts, and those who register late will receive shirts as long as they last, according to the Southern Trail Series website.
Awards for first, second and third overall as well as first in age group will be given in the 12-mile race, and first, second and third overall as well as a first place master and first place grand master award will be given in the 6-mile race.