CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) - The Big South Conference announced today its second annual 5K Road Race, presented by Keffer Automotive Group and TrySports, has been scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8:00am at the Blakeney Shopping Center, and will again serve as a fundraising opportunity for middle school athletics programs in the Charlotte area. Last year's inaugural event was one of the top new races in Charlotte and raised $10,000 for middle school athletic programs in Mecklenburg and Union counties.
Online registration is now open at the official race website, www.BigSouth5K.com. The first 200 to sign up will receive a $10 gift card courtesy of Play It Again Sports, while the first 100 will receive an additional gift from the Big South Conference. The entry fee is $20 for pre-registered runners by Sept. 30 and includes an official race t-shirt, and $25 after Sept. 30. Runners can also sign up on race day starting at 7:00am. Individuals also have the option of supporting the event and a specific school by signing up as a "phantom runner" for $20, and includes a race t-shirt. The Big South 5K Road Race will feature a finish line party of awards, music, food, games, vendors and giveaways. Big South Conference member institutions will also have booths set-up on race day providing school information and giveaways.
During the registration process, participants will have the option of selecting a "middle school affiliation," and when a middle school is selected, a percentage of the participant's registration fee will be sent to the selected middle school's athletic booster club. Additional proceeds from the race will also be used to support the Student Athlete Foundation of Mecklenburg County, which provides assistance to save and maintain the middle school sports program in Mecklenburg County.
Close to 1,000 registrants took part in last year's 5K run and more than 40 local businesses supported the event. A total of 46 middle schools (32 in Mecklenburg County and 14 in Union County) were designated by participants as beneficiaries for a percentage of registration fees from the race, and these schools received a majority of the $10,000 raised.
Matt Elliott, a former Big South Conference student-athlete from Winthrop University and Presbyterian College, was the overall male winner in 2010 as he finished first with a time of 14:45. Stephanie Pezzulo was the overall female winner last year with a time of 16:17.
A new Facebook page dedicated to the race, www.facebook.com/BigSouth5KRoadRace, has been created and includes an interactive page that features race information for participants as well as weekly giveaways from race sponsors every Wednesday. Businesses interested in being a supporter of the 2011 Big South 5K Road Race should contact Chad Cook at 704-341-7990 or chadc@bigsouth.org.
