Make sure to break in your sneakers.
On Sunday, Oct. 28, the Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill will host its 13th annual 5K Road Race and 1-mile fun run/walk.
About 250 people are expected to attend, said Race Coordinator Gene Bonetti, who is also the fitness director for the center.
“It’s one of the major fundraisers for our department,” Bonetti said, with proceeds helping to fund health and wellness programs at Katz JCC.
Anyone who would like to attend is encouraged to register.
“It’s a nice community-wide event,” he said. “It’s a nice picturesque neighborhood that people run through.”
The race, which is on a USATF (United States of America Track and Field) certified course and will be chip timed, begins at 1301 Springdale Road and there are a number of ways to pre-register.
Seasoned runners may find registration on www.active.com to be the easiest route, Bonetti said. Hopeful participants can also register through www.katzjcc.org or by calling (856) 424–4444 ext. 1150.
Pre-registration is priced at $20 for the race. To sign up beginning at 7:30 a.m. the day of the race, the price becomes $25 and $10 for the fun run/walk.
The fun run/walk is set to commence at 8:40 a.m. followed by the 5K race at 9 a.m.
Typically, participants reach the end of the course around 10:30 a.m., said Bonetti.
There will be cash prizes for the top three men and women finishers, he said.
The top winners will receive $100. Second place collects $75. Third place finishers will get $50.
Remnants of snow lined the course at last year’s race.
As the holiday season edges in, donations of kosher canned goods will be accepted to the Jewish Family and Children’s Services Food Bank, he said.
According to Cherry Hill Spokeswoman Bridget Palmer, the Katz JCC is a wellness partner in the township.
Girls who participate in the Girls on the Run program are invited to run in the 5K, Palmer said.
“A subsidiary of a national organization by the same name, Girls on the Run is intended to build self-esteem and self-awareness among girls ages 8 to 11,” Mayor Chuck Cahn said in a September statement. “The goal is to encourage friendship, while offering discussion points that include emotional health, nutrition, the importance of rest, positive attitude and personal values.”
The 5K race promotes health, fitness and wellness, Bonetti said, and is great for fitness enthusiasts to mark on their calendars, as well as families.
“It’s a fun day for all,” he said.
