This is the 18th running of this event and as usual, all race proceeds benefit the Rural Hall Elementary School. Both the 5K & 10K are USA Track & Field certified with a gun start and chip timing for accurate results. The 10K starts at 8am with the 5K at 8:15am to allow couples or friends to arrive together and run the same or different races with a common starting and finish line. Our 5K is perfect for younger runners, walkers wanting to support the school, families including jogging strollers, injured runners or as a recovery race after a tougher summer ordeal due to it being a TOTALLY FLAT 5K COURSE! Our 10K is a bit more challenging with three hills at the very front end of the course, but still is relatively flat for this area and boasts some of the best 10K times that many of our runners have accomplished to date! This year will feature Hanes Sport (TM) Cool Dri High Tech moisture wicking shirts rated 50 UPF for UV ray protection for all adult sizes. Youth sizes will be offered in a Hanes soft 50/50 Cotton/Polyester blend. Any questions? Call Jim Smith at 336-406-1569 or email at [email protected] and he will respond to your inquiries as quickly as possible.

LOCATION: Mayflower Seafood Restaurant Parking Lot, 664 Montroyal Road, Rural Hall, NC 27045 with additional parking next door at Tractor Supply or across the street at Food Lion. Our USAT&F certificated course for the 5K is out and back using a blocked off lane of Hwy 65. The turnaround point is just before Tobaccoville Road. Our USAT&F certified course for the 10K involves two loops, the first of which goes down Forum Parkway to Professional Carpet Systems, where it turns around and returns to Hwy 65 via Old Beltway to Angus Street. The second loop goes down Sommerdale and returrns to Hwy 65 via Runningbrook. That dispenses with the three hills and the rest of the course is totally flat with the turnaround in the Rural Hall Town Hall parking lot and then straight back down Hwy 65 to the Mayflower. All but a few yards of the Hwy 65 course is run in a blocked off lane without having to deal with auto traffic! We station course volunteers at every turn and deputies or firemen at every intersection to give runners the right away over vehicles when possible for best runner times! We regret that we can't accommodate dogs/other animals (except for seeing eye dogs on a harness) since much of the race courses involve two way runner traffic. We have cyclists following the last runner of each race to make sure that every runner returns safely and to let us quickly finalize our award tallies by letting us know when each race has ended.

TROPHIES & AWARDS GALORE: Top 3 male and top 3 female overall in the 5K and again in the 10K win trophies. Olympic Style Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are then awarded to the following age groups, based on age on race day: (5K only: under age 10, ages 10-14) (10K only: under age 15) Both races: 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, and Masters 70+ for a grand total of 162 Awards! We also encourage optional halloween costumes for the 5K and hold a costume judging at the starting line for $50, $30, & $20 cash prizes for the best three costumes. Make sure you plan to stay after your race is completed to cheer the rest of the runners home! And we present our awards in person at our AWARD CEREMONY FOLLOWING EACH RACE, offering a great photo op for your friends and family to capture this celebration with a photo or video on your behalf! We will have plenty of food and music to keep you entertained, while you wait for our awards to be given out!

WATER STATIONS AND FOOD AND MORE: The 5K features two passes by our water station at Hawthorne at the Hall apartments and the 10K mirrors that with a third water station in the Rural Hall Town Hall parking lot. A water bottle is also given to every runner as they reach the finish line. Krispy Kreme doughnuts, chocolate milk, cookies, bananas, apples, grapes, gatoraide, and many more yummy treats await our runners and course volunteers at our finish line Food Tent. Clean restrooms are available inside the Mayflower, where registration is held and porta-johns are available at the start/finish line as well. Our own Piedmont Cheering Hearts senior cheer leaders squad will greet you at the finish line along with crowds of enthusiastic spectators & parents & course volunteers. Our DJ is on site to spin tunes before, during, and after the race to keep everyone energized!

EARLY PACKET PICK-UP: for those pre-registering prior to 6pm on Wednesday, October 22, is available from noon to 5pm on Thursday, Oct 23, and from 9am to 4pm on Friday, Oct 24, at AgSouth Farm Credit, 340 Bethania-Rural Hall Rd, Rural Hall, NC and rapid packet pickup is available on race day in front of the Mayflower Seafood Restaurant in Rural Hall, NC. Walk up registration on race day opens at 6:15am on race day and those pre-registering after 6pm on Wednesday, October 22 will find their shirts, bib numbers, and packet of other goodies inside the Mayflower at the Walk Up Registration Desk even though you are pre-registered. Race day registration is also possible online and at our walk up registration desk inside the Mayflower.