25th Komen Race for the Cure to fill downtown

If the past is any indication, the 25th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will flood downtown Little Rock on Saturday with 30,000 pedestrians and an astonishing amount of pink. But the slogan of the breast cancer charity’s fundraising footrace for 2018 is “Be More Than Pink.”

Roughly half of those people — men and women — will visit downtown to run or walk a 5K or 2K. The rest will line the route as Three Miles of Men or stand on a curb to cheer, many as part of teams wearing costumes or matching shirts.

Saturday will not be a good day to drive aimlessly through downtown in search of a place to park. Consider the race route, and plan to park away from it.

The 3.1-mile footrace Komen calls its “Competitive Run” will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Second Street and Broadway, and the mighty current of walking or running pedestrians Komen calls its “5K” will begin at 8 a.m. between Capitol Avenue and Fourth Street.

The difference between the 5K and the Run is that the Run’s participants must be able to go 3.1 miles in 30 or fewer minutes, and they pay an extra $10 for chip-timing.

This year’s race course crosses the Arkansas River via Broadway Bridge to spend two blocks in North Little Rock before returning to Little Rock on the Main Street Bridge. Racers proceed along Markham Street to Sixth Street, where they turn west and run 12 blocks, slightly uphill, to South Pulaski Street. A one-block jog north takes them to Capitol Avenue, where they turn east and head somewhat downhill for more than six blocks to the finish line at Capitol and Gaines Street.

A 2K Family Fun Run/ Walk also begins at 8 a.m. at Second and Broadway; participants will take the Broadway Bridge across the river and return via the Main Street Bridge on a course slightly longer than a mile, ending at Spring and Second streets.

The 5K awards ceremony will take place atop the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette stage at Fourth and Broadway, with awards for the top three overall finishers and the three fastest racers who registered as cancer survivors. The fastest survivor in the Competitive Run will win a round-trip airline ticket.

One of several annual events detailed on the website komenarkansas.org, the 5K’s pre-race pasta party will take over the Little Rock River Market pavilions from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday. Admission is $25 for dinner by Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe and music.

5K registration is online through komenarkansas.org for $30 ($20 for children). The price includes a T-shirt.

In-person registration and packet pickup are available at The Race Space in the Promenade at Chenal between Kendra Scott and Ya-Ya’s, 17711 Chenal Parkway. The space opens at 9 a.m. daily through Friday and closes at 6 p.m. daily through Thursday. The shop closes at 2 p.m. Friday.

Race-day registration (also $30) opens at 6:30 a.m. in a booth near the staging area on Broadway. Komen’s Little Rock phone number is (501) 202-4359.

Burns Park Golf Wall

North Little Rock Parks and Recreation seeks nominations to the Burns Park Golf Wall of Honor. The wall is outside the Pro Shop and already includes 20 names.

After selection by a committee including the parks and recreation director and one staff member, one golf pro and one citizen, inductees are recognized by a plaque on the wall and a certificate.

Nominees should meet one or more of these criteria: have shown exceptional leadership, character and/or service that inspires others in the game of golf; provided distinguished service in support of Burns Park golf; played consistently and supported or promoted play at the Burns Park golf course for years; or won the Arkansas Open at least three times.

Here’s a shortcut to the website with nomination form: arkansasonline. com/1029golfwall.

Midsouth Marathon

With a new organizer in charge, the 20th annual Midsouth Marathon at Wynne is a fundraiser for Hope Rising Children’s Home of Leogane, Haiti. The 26.2-mile footrace starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, and the course closes at 2 p.m.

The familiar out-and-back route has not changed, starting and finishing near Wynne High School stadium, 800 E. Jackson St.

Racers encounter a long downhill on their way out, and the same terrain becomes a long uphill on the way back. In between are gentle rollers and flats, a brief stretch with potential truck traffic and a longer experience of a quiet country backroad, with aid stations about every mile.

Race awards for the marathon will go three deep for men and women overall and in masters, grand masters and senior categories as well as in five-year age divisions between 0-9 and 80-plus.

A half marathon runs concurrently, with the same overall and age-group award divisions as well as awards for the top 10 walkers. New this year is a 5K with similar age-division awards and trophies for the three fastest finishers overall — male and female. It starts at 8:15.

Online registration has closed. An expo with registration ($60 for the marathon and half, $30 for the 5K), packet pickup and a pasta supper will be open 4 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Wynne Baptist Church Family Life Center, 1200 Bridges Ave. East.

Race-day registration (add another $10) will be accepted from 6 to 7:30 a.m. near the start.

More information is at hrch.org. Or call (870) 5885894.