OPPORTUNITIES

River Valley Superhero 5K takes flight Saturday

The third annual River Valley Superhero 5K is marked and set to start at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Participants are encouraged to dress as superheroes.

The race was born in 2013 when Brenda Stephenson and Tammy Marcoe set out to raise money for a co-worker on the Russellville police force whose son had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Five-year-old Carter Nuckols died that September, but so many runners had turned out for the race, the organizers decided to continue it. Each year they support different children diagnosed with cancer.

The 5K run (walkers are welcome) has an out-and-back course starting from the eastern side of Russellville Junior High. It is a straightforward course with no elevation change. The course is closed to traffic, and volunteers will be stationed along the way. In addition, there will be at least one water station.

The awards ceremony will directly follow the 5K. Trophies will be given to the first-place finishers in each age division and ribbons for second and third. The age categories begin with a 12 and under division but older age divisions are in five-year increments.

There will also be an award for best costume, with the winner selected from those who choose to compete.

A Little Superhero 1K will begin about 9:30 a.m. using the same starting line as the 5K. The children will again have an out-and-back course, but it will be within the confines of the parking lot.

Registration fees -- $25 for the 5K and $15 for the 1K -- rise $5 on race day. Registration can be placed online through rivervalleysuperhero5k.org or in person on race day.

Participants and spectators are asked to park at the rear and west sides of Russellville Junior High School, 2000 W. Parkway Drive.

The race organizers' phone number is (479) 280-4987.

CRITERIUM RACING

Experiencing the excitement of a cycling race as a racer or spectator used to be quite difficult in central Arkansas, because such events were rare. Central Arkansas Velo (CARVE) team has been part of a changing time. For the past 12 years, Little Rock bike shop Chainwheel and its cycling team have staged a summer racing series they call Ronde van Burns, set in a readily accessible public park.

This summer's five-event series will begin Wednesday in North Little Rock's Burns Park Soccer Complex and will continue every Wednesday until June 17.

Each event features several heats on a flat, 0.8-mile course that weaves through parking lots of the complex. Cyclists make six turns before their race ends back at the starting line. Such races are known as criteriums or crits. They are characterized by a closed circuit course usually of less than a mile, which makes for a spectator-friendly bike race.

Each event in the series has four categories for men and three for women, with lower numbers indicating higher levels of experience and skill. The Category 5 men and Cat. 4 women will begin at 5:15 p.m. and race for 20 minutes plus three laps; Categories 4 and 5 men, Cat. 4 women and an Open category for 55-year-olds or older will begin at 5:50 and race for 30 minutes plus three laps; and Categories 1 through 4 men and Categories 1 through 3 women will race for 45 minutes plus three laps.

There will be cash prizes for the top three finishers in all races except the first race of the evening. In addition to the cash prizes for the top finishers, there will be opportunities to win an assortment of prizes by outpacing other riders in intermediate sprints during a heat.

This is a USA Cycling event, so all racers are required to have a license. One-day licenses can be bought on race day for $15.

Registration ($20) can be placed online through usacycling.org up to 10 on the night before the race or in the park on race day, starting at 4:30 p.m.

Top 10 finishers will win points that count toward a metacompetition: 10 racers with the most points at the end of the series will win cash payouts.

The Arlene Laman entrance to the soccer complex will be unavailable, but the course can be accessed by car through the Burns Park Golf Course. Take Military Drive to the stop sign at Tournament Drive and make a righthand turn, watching for race barriers. Parking and registration will be at soccer field No. 9.

These races will happen rain or shine. More information can be found at usacycling.org or by calling (573) 529-9923.

MAKING IT EASIER TO GO RUNNING

Getting motivated when you don't have someone in your ear pumping you up can be a difficult task. Throw in the mix that you are trying to get motivated to run, and you might find it, well, impossible. There are a plethora of running stores in the state that organize weekly fun runs to get you motivated. For instance, Go!Running is one of several Little Rock stores that wants to help.

Every Thursday at 6 p.m. the shop organizes a fun run. This isn't a footrace but rather an untimed group workout that aims to gather runners and walkers of all types and skill levels.

They sprint, lope or trot through the Heights neighborhood. A basic loop begins at the shop and winds through what can be quite a hilly neighborhood, but this course is relatively flat with few to no uphills. Most people run about three miles, but shop owner Gary Taylor says that there are a few alternate routes that some regular fun runners take to tack on anywhere from one to 2 1/2 extra miles.

The shop closes at 6 p.m., but runners are welcome to take a look around and change into their running attire in the store before hitting the streets. Taylor provides beverages and snacks after the run, and people are encouraged to stay and converse with other runners.

The shop also participates in the Heights' Third Thursday, in which retailers stay open late for people to take a look around the store.

The store is at 1819 N. Grant St. and more information about the run and other events can be obtained at gorunning.com or by calling (501) 663-6800.

The Opportunities column will check out other running-shop fun runs in coming weeks.

ActiveStyle on 05/18/2015

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