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SPORTS
Hundreds signed up for W.Va. 5K
Tom Plummer speaks during a press conference Wednesday, April 8, 2009, to announce that the first-ever West Virginia 5K Championship Race will be held in Huntington this year. Proceeds from this first race will benefit United Way of the River Cities.
Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON -- Runners are coming from far and wide for the West Virginia 5K Championship.
Race director Pat Riley said Wednesday he had 352 entries in hand for the Saturday morning distance run in downtown Huntington. If they all finish, it would surpass the record for a 5K event in the city set by the 2008 Bun Run that had 350 runners cross the finish line.
Male and female overall winners and various age-group leaders will all have bragging rights as state champions, Riley said.
"People keep coming and talking to me about it," he said. "We've never had people talking so much about a race. Everybody is excited."
Riley said Tri-State runners make up most of the field, but he also has entries from Charleston and Morgantown, Columbus and Toledo in Ohio, Lexington, Ky., Georgia and Florida.
And, it's not too late to enter. Registration continues to race day at www.tristateracer.com and at the United Way of the River Cities office, 820 Madison Ave. Race day registration begins at 6:30 a.m.
With the assortment of organized distance runs held around town, plus the large number of people who go jogging in Ritter Park and elsewhere, Riley jokingly said Huntington could be known as "Runnington."
"Our number one goal is to increase the fitness and make running important in the Tri-State, Riley said.
The race will go on rain or shine, he said.
A 3.1-mile USATF certified race course starts and finishes on Veterans Memorial Boulevard between 8th Street and 10th Street and loops around the downtown area. A public address announcer stationed near the finish line will provide race updates and call out names as runners come in.
The winning time will probably be around 14 minutes, 45 seconds for the men and about 17 minutes for the women.
Riley said a crew of about 50 to 60 volunteers will be working around the race course to ensure safety.
Awards will be handed out after the race at Pullman Square.
United Way of the River Cities is the beneficiary.
