Fifth Seasons Races kick off July 4th celebrations

CEDAR RAPIDS — Downtown Cedar Rapids will be bustling Tuesday morning.

No, it won't be filled with thousands of Corridor residents heading to work, dropping their kids off at camp or getting their morning coffee.

It will be filled with thousands of runners from all over the country, sprinting through the downtown streets.

The Fifth Seasons Races will host its 32nd consecutive event on Tuesday morning, continuing its rich tradition in Eastern Iowa.

'(The community) has been very supportive. They've done a great job,' Mark Powers, the president of the Corridor Running club, said. 'We get great residential support, and we do (have athletes from) 20-some states, and I think we're into a couple of countries as well ... that helps in the local draw.'

The morning gets started at 8 a.m., when the Health Solutions 8K race gets started. The race, which is the oldest annual 8-kilometer race in the country, will start on Third Avenue downtown. Runners will head east until they get to Bever Park, where they will loop through the park and head back.

More than 2,000 people are expected to run in the race, all competing for prize money totaling more than $3,000.

The top finisher in the 8K race will receive a $599 prize. And, as an added bonus in 2017, the top male and female finishers from the Corridor will receive a $100 bonus on top of any other prize money they receive.

Just 15 minutes after the 8K kicks off, a 5-kilometer run/walk will start from the same location and run a nearly identical course — just with a quicker turnaround.

There are also three children's races Tuesday morning. For children under five years old, there is a .33-mile run. Kids between ages 6 and 10 can compete in a .45-mile run, and kids under 12 years old can compete in a mile run.

Following the races, fans and athletes are invited to stick around and visit with dozens of vendors from local running stores, and — racers who are over 21 — can visit Brick's Bar and Grille downtown to enjoy a free beer.

l Comments: ryan.young@thegazette.com