Salty Sands Rotary Run in Fort Desoto Park

The Rotary Club of St Petersburg is happy to announce the 2nd year of our Salty Sands Run/Walk, which will take place Saturday April 22, 2023 in beautiful Fort Desoto Park.  The event will feature a 10k Run, 5K Run and a 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk, so there is a distance for everyone and we hope that you will come out and join us.     
Rotary is always looking for ways to support our community and all of the amazing non-profit organizations that are continually striving to make St Petersburg a better place.  In fact, there are so many great organizations that sometimes it's tough to just choose one, so this year we are launching a new concept for the Salty Sands that we are calling the Charity Challenge. 
Instead of us choosing a charity that event proceeds will given to, we are asking you the runners to choose!  This is going to be super easy, fun and maybe even a little competitive.  Here's how it works...
Rotary has selected the following three local non-profits that will compete against each other to win a percentage of the event proceeds and you will be asked to select one to support when you register.   
Academy Prep, https://stpete.academyprep.org/about
Reach St Pete, https://reachstpete.org/aboutus
SPCA of Tampa Bay, https://spcatampabay.org/about-us/
The rules for winning are simple.  Any registered participant in the 1 mile run/walk, the 5k or the 10k race counts as one point for the selected charity.  The organization that ends up with the most points wins the most money.  
*The only twist is that bonus points will be given based on race results, so the final point totals will not be determined until the day of the event.   
Bonus Points are awarded to your organization if a registered participant places as follows in the timed 5k or 10k races.  *The 1 mile walk/run is not timed, so there will be no extra points allocated to that race.  Bonus Points for overall 5k and 10k winners
Men's 1st place = 15 points           Women's 1st place = 15 points  Men's 2nd place = 10 points          Women's 2nd place = 10 points  Men's 3rd place = 5 points             Women's 3rd place = 5 points  
5 Bonus points will also be awarded to each first place age group winner in the following eight age groups.14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
Additional Details:
Environmental Efforts - We will again be striving to make our race more eco-friendly by avoiding single use plastics.  Our water will be supplied in large reusable jugs and paper cups and the goodie bag for race participants will be made of cloth and re-useable in every day life.  Our awards will be crafted by a local artist and made of wood.  As not every runner wants a t-shirt and we want to avoid t-shirts ending up in landfills, registrants will be offered option to decline t-shirt and instead donate that money to protect a sea turtle nest through the local group, Sea Turtle Trackers (www.seaturtletrackers.org)
Course - The course is a flat, scenic loop that begins at North Beach, wraps its way south, through Arrowhead picnic area then crosses the road and returns to the Start/Finish line.  The 10K will be two loops of the course.  Both the 5k and 10k races will be professionally timed with individual bibs/chips.  The 1 mile Fun Run/Walk will not be individually timed. 
All participants will receive a t-shirt and a finisher medal.  Overall awards will be given to top three male and female finishers as well as the top two finishers in each age group (14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+).  The awards are custom creations on wood by local artist, Dean Forss, and since it is Earth Day there will be an earth theme that you will have to wait to see!
This event is family-friendly and kids and strollers are most welcome.  For your safety and the safety of fellow participants, dogs are not allowed on the course. 
Salty Sands, Fort Desoto Park, April 22, 2023, Start Times and Pricing:
--> 7:30 am 10k Run - $45 until March 31, $50 from April 1 to April 21, $55 for day of event registration.                                                                                                                 Reduced pricing for kids under 18 is $35 until March 31, $40 from April 1 to April 21, $45 for day of event registration.                  
-->. 7:45 am 5k Run - $35 until March 31, $40 from April 1 to April 21, $45 for day of event registration.                                                                                                                 Reduced pricing for kids under 18 is $25 until March 31, $30 from April 1 to April 21, $35 for day of event registration.                  
-->. 8:00 am 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk - $25 until March 31, $30 from April 1 to April 21, $35 for day of event registration.                                                                                           Reduced pricing for kids under 18 is $20 until March 31, $25 from April 1 to April 21, $30 for day of event registration.