“This will be kind of a restorative event for folks who are struggling,” said Katie Powers, founder and director of the race now in its sixth year.
“We hope it will allow people to still get out and celebrate on a holiday."
While many annual community events have been canceled as a preventative measure against possibly spreading the coronavirus, the nature of an outdoor charity race, which includes new safety social distancing measures, makes it an activity likely to go off as scheduled.
“We have an opportunity this year, thanks to our supporters, to be an event that stays safe and doesn’t get canceled,” she said.
To achieve that, runners will have staggered start times, grouped into “corrals” at social distances at the start in Hamilton’s downtown Marcum Park, and masks will be required when not running.
Hand sanitizers will be provided, and all food and drink will be pre-packaged.
And the runners, a group that has grown in number steadily each year and expected to be more than 1,000 this race, are asked to do their part by race officials.
“We ask that all race participants and volunteers take their own temperatures at home the morning of the race,” said race officials in their registration information on social media.
“If you have a fever (99.5 or greater), muscle pain, sore throat, chills with shaking, cough, headaches, shortness of breath, or new loss of taste or smell in the past 14 days, or if you have recently been exposed to someone with confirmed or suspected coronavirus, we ask that you stay home to keep yourself and others safe,” said officials.
This year’s race features a new course through much of downtown Hamilton.
For more information and to register, go to the race’s website.
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