_NOTE_ It it going to be HOT HOT HOT on Saturday. Please think about how heat-acclimated you are. It's not the day for a PR and it may not even be a day for racing at all. There is no shame in walking the course this year (you still get Grand Prix participation points) or even dropping out altogether. We truly want to keep everyone safe. Stay hydrated and let a volunteer know if you're not feeling well. We plan to have ice-water towels and water at the finish and there is shade under the trees alongside the finish line. If you feel you might need electrolytes, please bring them yourself.

Celebrate the holiday with a FREE 5k race at Riverside Park. (off of Monocacy Blvd). This is a low-key, low-amenity event.

Race Start time is 8:30AM.

Free for FSRC Members

Our low-key races are free for Steeplechaser members, so YAY!

You must be a club member on race day in order to get free race entry.

* If youre not a club member, you can join at https://runsignup.com/fsrc.
* To check to see if you are a current member, and if so, what your expiration date is go to https://members.loutilities.com/fsrc/members and search for your name. If it isnt found, your membership has either expired or you may be using an alternate spelling of your name.
* To look up your membership by name or email and to renew see: https://runsignup.com/fsrc and click Membership Lookup. If youre logged into RunSignup, you should see your membership under Your Existing Users. If your membership has expired, click the Renew Now button next to your most recent membership. We have no idea why they have Renew Now next to older memberships, so please click the right one.
* If you think you are a paid member of the club and you still can't register for free, please check the spelling of the name you used to join the club and ensure that the birthdate you're using for registering for the race matches the one in your RunSignUp profile.
* If this still doesn't offer the ability to register for the race for free, email membership@steeplechasers.org for assistance.

Finally - if you currently have an individual membership and would like to upgrade to "Two-In-Household" or "Family" membership in order to get the free race entry for family members, contact our membership committee at membership@steeplechasers.org.

RACE DAY REGISTRATION

You may sign up on race day, but you'll need to do it online on your own device. We will not have paper forms or registration kiosks.

COMPETITION

The Independence 5000 will count towards the FSRC Grand Prix. [https://steeplechasers.org/competition/club-competition/grand-prix/]
Low-budget awards are given to the following divisions:

* Top male/female/non binary (clock time)
* Age Group male/female (net time): 12 and under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+

LOGISTICS

Park in the lot at Riverside and pick up your bib.

The race will be chip timed, but still please make sure that you stay in order as you cross the finish line where volunteers will scan your bib -- we do this as a backup to resolve any missed chip reads.

The course is an out and back on the paved trail through the park. There will be two water stops.

Please bring a food item to share after the race.