The streets of downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock will be filled with pink again Saturday morning for the 22nd annual Susan G. Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure 5K.
It will be the second consecutive year runners will use the same course, which starts at Arch Street and East Capitol Avenue in Little Rock and traverse across Main Street Bridge into North Little Rock for three blocks before heading back over the bridge to the finish line.
Arkansas Race for the Cure 5K
WHEN Saturday
WHERE Downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock. Race starts on Arch Street and East Capitol Avenue in Little Rock.
RACE TIMES Competitive 5K: 7:30 a.m. 5K run/walk: 8 a.m. Family 2K fun run/walk: 8:20 a.m.
REGISTRATION 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. today, 11619 Pleasant Ridge Road, Little Rock or online at komenarkansas.org
RACE DAY REGISTRATION Fourth and Arch streets, Little Rock
More than 25,000 runners have signed up already.
"It's coming in like a freight train," executive director Sherry McBride said.
This year's race also marks the fourth year a competitive race will be included. Last year Gannon White won the men's 5K in 17 minutes, 27.89 seconds, while Leah Thorvilson, who was first overall in 2013, won the women's championship in 18:32.97.
McBride started with Komen as a volunteer in 1998 before beginning full-time work with the organization a couple of years later. She said she has watched the race grow from 7,000 runners in 1998 to what it is today.
"It's become a little more high-tech from where we had all registrations on paper," she said. "Now we can do it all online, but we still want to accommodate everyone and still take paper registrations."
The Little Rock race was the second-largest Komen run in the United States last year behind Columbus, Ohio, according to McBride. She said there is something special about the people of central Arkansas that is overwhelming.
"It seems we have always had a very strong team involvement," McBride said. "We're very lucky to get so much volunteer support and support from almost every media outlet. I think that's really why it's grown so."
One change is this year is that the 2K family fun walk/run will end on Spring Street. McBride said Chick-fil-A is bringing a 15-foot blimp to lead participants down the city streets.
Registration is open from 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. today at Komen's Race Space at 11619 Pleasant Ridge Road in Little Rock. Runners also can register online at komenarkansas.org or Saturday at the corner of Fourth and Arch streets beginning at 6 a.m.
Sports on 10/09/2015