While thousands, thousands, thousands of Susan G. Komen for the Cure supporters flood downtown streets Saturday for the 21st annual Race for the Cure, a smaller, smaller, smaller group of equally happy people will be bobbing about in the Arkansas River, paddling for the cure.
Although not an officially sanctioned Komen event, the 12th annual Paddle for the Cure allows experienced canoeists and kayakers to join an official Race for the Cure team.
Advantages?
• Plenty of parking near the North Little Rock Burns Park boat ramp, where the group will launch at 6:30 a.m.
• Silvery river.
• Chance to sit in the middle of a river while 35,000 or so people run and walk overhead (on the Main Street Bridge).
• Boaters don't have to be able to run or walk.
• Although participants agree to paddle at their own risk, in the event of an emergency, Brandon Butler's Tactical Rescue Services team will be on the water to help.
Disadvantages?
• Getting up early -- to paddle downriver before the race begins.
• No chance to earn one of the finishers medals given to the fast 5K competitors.
• No chance to catch beads tossed into the parade by Three Miles of Men.
• No chance to, uh, tinkle for the cure at a portable toilet decorated by a Tinkled Pink sponsor.
• Tricky to get to the Main Street Food Truck Festival during its 8 to 10 a.m. early brunch for racers. See details at downtownlr.com.
And then of course paddlers have to provide their own vessel and all the safety gear needed to stave off drowning (organizers say life vests must be worn at all times). Paddlers have the option of taking out at North Shore Landing by the Interstate 30 bridge (assuming they've arranged a shuttle) or paddling upstream back to Burns Park.
More information is at facebook.com/PaddlefortheCure
RACE REGISTRATION
How does anyone register to join any existing Race for the Cure team? Go to the Komen website, komenarkansas.org; find the registration page and sign up for the 5K Run/Walk under "Join an existing team." Online registration is available through race day, but those who sign up after Wednesday don't count toward team fundraising awards.
The same page has a different link for signing up solo, which is also the link for people who want to join the 2K Family Fun Run/Walk, Three Miles of Men and "Sleep In for the Cure" (to donate but not run).
Racers who want to line up at the head of the mighty pack, wearing a timing chip and ready to compete for a finisher's medal, sign up under the competitive 5K. Those who plan to run but not necessarily at an elite pace can
sign up for the 5K Run/Walk or the family fun run. All the categories cost $26 online ($25 in person, see below) except the competitive 5K, which costs $36 online ($35 in person) because they will time you, and time is money.
An alternative, for all race participants, is signing up in person at Komen's Race Space, 11619 Pleasant Ridge in Little Rock (a former post office near the Pleasant Ridge Shopping Center). The space is open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. today, Tuesday and Wednesday; 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. Note the early closing on Friday.
From 6 to 8 a.m. Saturday, procrastinators can register at the booth at Fourth and Arch streets in downtown Little Rock. On race day, it costs $35 to register for the general 5K or 2K and $40 for the timed 5K.
BYE BYE, BROADWAY
This 21st annual Race for the Cure has new courses.
Not so long ago it seemed likely that the Broadway Bridge would be demolished by now, and so the Arkansas affiliate of Susan G. Komen mapped a new route for the 5K and 2K. Instead of starting at Second Street and Broadway and crossing the bridge into North Little Rock, racers will line up facing west on Arch Street at Capitol Avenue, rush uphill to Cross Street and then turn left, going one block to Sixth Street.
They will take Sixth Street east to Scott Street, turning left on Scott and following it across the Main Street Bridge into North Little Rock. At Main and Broadway they will turn left and then left again on Maple Street to recross the river using the same bridge.
At the southern foot, they'll turn right on Markham Street, then left on Main Street and finally right on Third Street. The finish line is between Center and Louisiana streets.
ActiveStyle on 09/29/2014