FORT JACKSON, S.C. (Sept. 25, 2014) -- Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation's monthly 5k fun runs continue to grow in popularity with the Fort Jackson community. According to Mike Elkins, chief of the FMWR Community Recreation Division, the monthly fun runs average 50 to 60 runners.
Elkins said that Mike Garcia, manager of FMWR Sports, Fitness and Aquatics, started adding monthly themes to the races, added a few new race routes, added music, automated timing, balloon arches and a few more special race day improvements.
"With the added touches, the monthly race participation started growing and growing. Over the last 18 months, the races have averaged 250 to 300 runners. We have had two races in the last three months that had 750 and 950 runners, and this does not include Soldiers running in formation," Elkins said.
With the races growing in popularity, and the changing financial environment, FMWR has announced that it cannot continue to give each runner a free post-race T-shirt. Beginning with the next race Oct. 25, runners and walkers will be able to purchase a race T-shirt online when they register for the upcoming race. T-shirts must be ordered no later than 10 working days before the day of the race. T-shirts for the October race can be ordered beginning Oct.1 through noon, Oct. 10.
When a runner pre-registers online, a T-shirt link will be visible. By clicking on the link, the runner will be able to order and pay for the shirt. Race staff will have the shirts on site, and runners can pick up their T-shirts after the race.
The Saturday morning fun runs have turned into a great community-wide event," Garcia said. "We have the serious runners, runners working on becoming more competitive, folks that just want a no stress casual run, families with strollers, retirees, and units running in formation. It is a great way to start a Saturday morning!"
Upcoming races are the Halloween Howl, Oct. 25 at Twin Lakes; the Turkey Trot, Nov. 22 at Semmes Lake; and the Jingle Bell Run, Dec. 13 at Twin Lakes.
All races begin at 8 a.m. Pre-registration is from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. Runners are asked to arrive early enough to get a race bib, stretch and meet a new friend.
The FMWR online registration site is https://webtrac.mwr.army.mil/webtrac103/wbwsc/Jacksonrectrac.wsc/wbsplash.ht.
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