Racers Lacing up for Annual Kentlands/Lakelands 5K

Kids cross the finish line in the 2013 Kids Fun Run before the Kentlands/Lakelands 5K.

More than 1,000 runners and walkers are getting set to lace up, stretch out and hit the street for the annual Lakelands/Kentlands 5K scheduled for 8 a.m. on Saturday, August 30.

The Labor Day weekend event includes a 5K Run and Walk, two Kids Fun Runs, and the well-renowned Post-Race Expo in Market Square Plaza, bringing over 4,000 visitors to Kentlands Downtown. The 5K Race has grown into the largest in Montgomery County, with over 1,400 participants registering last year, according to race spokesperson Carrie Dietz. The non-profit Kentlands Community Foundation, in partnership with the City of Gaithersburg, hosts the event.

The course winds through Lakelands and Kentlands in Gaithersburg, starting and finishing on Main Street behind Market Square Plaza. The course was designed to give participants the opportunity to experience the best in new urbanist communities and passes by many civic landmarks. Featuring two water stops and live entertainment along the route, the course requires more than 60 volunteer Course Marshals to keep it clear and safe from traffic.

So far 1,000 racers pre-registered for the race, plus 231 kids for the Fun Run.

Athletes were registering in person on Aug. 29 and 30 at either Stiles Family Dentistry on Main Street in Kentlands or at Fleet Feet Sports on Kentlands Boulevard. Registration costs $35 now. Race-day registration is also available in Market Square Plaza. Kids Fun Runs registration costs $12, according to the race website. Dietz said race officials offered a student discount to area cross country teams for the first time this year as well as to the Ready, Set, Run kids running program offered by the city of Gaithersburg.

John Bernstein, a Lakelands teen, is expected to sing the National Anthem and Rachel Carson Elementary School student Mariana Ruiz, submitted the winning race T-shirt design.

The Maryland Senior Olympics are back again this year and will use the race to qualify for the National Senior Olympics in Minneapolis in 2015.

About Krista Brick

Krista Brick is a multi-media journalist with Montgomery Community Media.

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