It’s 2020 and 5K season has shifted to November. Columnist Severo Avila talks this week about one of Rome’s traditional races — the Roman Rumble.
Are you starting to feel the holiday weight? Does your mid-section have just a little more padding than you’d like? Do you wish there was something you could do to kick start an active holiday season?
Why does this sound like an infomercial?
The answer to all those things is THE ROMAN RUMBLE. And I’d like you to be a part of it this year.
I know many of you may have participated in the Roman Rumble before, and some may only have heard of it. But let me just explain really quickly what it is for folks who don’t know.
The Roman Rumble is a 5K running/ jogging event and 2-mile walk that benefits Harbor House Child Advocacy Center. Full disclosure: I’m on the Harbor House board so of course I support this event, but it’s also really fun and a great family and community activity.
This year’s race takes place on Saturday, Nov. 14 at Ridge Ferry Park and because we’re all trying to be covid- conscious, the format will be a little different than in years past.
Here’s how it’ll work: When you arrive at Ridge Ferry Park and are ready to get in line to start, you’ll be placed in waves of just 10 people. That will make it a little bit easier to social distance. Each wave will start 10 minutes apart. The race is will be chip timed.
If you’re a super fast runner and you want to be in front, just make sure you get to the start line early. It’s a firstcome- first- serve wave placement. The first wave starts at 8:05 a.m.
If you sign up with a group (you get a discount if you do), then just make sure all your folks are together at the starting line if you want to start with them.
The idea for the waves is that it spreads out participants at the start and throughout the course. Volunteers will help participants get into the right starting waves and will let people know when it’s their turn to start.
The last wave will start at 10:30 a.m. There is also a 2-mile walk, which will go in the opposite direction of the run, so walkers don’t have to worry about being in the way of any of the runners.
If you’re at the level where you’re good enough to place in your age group, there will be a Facebook Live announcement of all the medalists in each category so no one has to stand around in large groups after the race. All the winners will be announced on a live feed and, over the next few days, winners can pick up their medals at Gogo Running.
Registration is online at Active.com by searching “Roman Rumble.” Packet pickup will be on Friday, Nov. 13, at Gogo Running at the Shoebox (1018 Martha Berry Blvd.) The cost is $25 per person. If you sign up as a group, you get a $5 discount for each person. The cost includes a race T-shirt and a goodie bag.
All the proceeds benefit Harbor House Child Advocacy Center, which provides a safe, friendly environment and trained professionals to conduct interviews with children who have been the victims of abuse. The kids are interviewed once and that interview is shared with any law enforcement agency that needs the information. That way, the child doesn’t have to relive their trauma by telling their story over and over in different settings.
Let me add here that the event is made possible with the help of wonderful sponsors and donors, some who’ve been supporting the event for years such as Garner & Glover Company. As an example, I texted Collin Doss at Harvey Given Company to ask if they’d like to donate to the event since they’ve done so in the past and he immediately wrote back “Absolutely. We’ll have a check for you next week.” And after I posted about the event to Facebook, Jennifer Massey Hopper of Dermaculture of Rome immediately made an online donation. I am so thankful that our community is filled with people like these who are willing to support those around us who need it most. If you or your company would like to donate to or sponsor the event, please visit the Harbor House website at http:// www. nwga- cac. org/ or call 706-235-5437.
In conclusion, here are some reasons you should run in this year’s Roman Rumble:
1. It benefits an organization whose work with local abused children is more important and more needed than you can imagine.
2. It’s a great family event. Bring the kids. Bring granny. Bring Uncle David who hasn’t gotten off the couch since one of the Bushes was in office.
3. You could have a Rome celebrity sighting. Here are some local celebs who have said they’d participate in this year’s race — newly elected sheriff Dave Roberson, mediocre runner- slash- golferslash-photographer Brad Reeder (who is actually a really nice guy), legend-in-hisown-mind Ghee Wilson, RN-T editor and mountain biking fiend John Bailey and Twickenham fashionista Sommer Swanson.
4. Fall is a great time to be outdoors and active. With a slew of Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers coming up, we could ALL stand to be a little more active before we start shoveling ham, dressing and cranberry sauce into our bellies. I know I could.
See y’all out there.