STAFF REPORT

RUSSELL, Ky. – Registration for the 48th annual Kiwanis Run By The River is now open.

The 5K and 10K runs and 5K walk are sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of East Greenup County, Ky. and are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14 in downtown Russell.

An early entry fee of $30 is in effect through June 11. From June 12 through race day registrations will cost $35, according to race director Tim Gearhart.

Registrations can be completed on either Tri-State Racer or Chronotrack web sites by using either of these links: https://tristateracer.com/race/13014 or https://register.chronotrack.com/r/86256.

“The club decided this year to bring back the Virtual Run By The River to give those who live in other parts of the country or world the chance to be part of the race. Or maybe you live right here in the Tri-State but can’t make it on race day. This gives you a chance to participate by running on your own time frame,” Gearhart said.

The Virtual Run By The River is listed as a separate race at https://tristateracer.com/race/13012.

For the in-person races, Kiwanis members decided to bring back several of the popular races-within-the-race.

Returning are the Canine Division and Stroller Division. Trophies will be given to the winner and runnerup of these races that involve a runner racing with a dog or a mother/father (or grand parent) pushing the baby through the race course in a stroller.

Also returning are categories for father/son, mother/daughter, father/daughter and mother/son. The winner and runnerup in these categories will get trophies, while remaining eligible for medals in their own age groups.

The races serve as a fundraiser for the East Greenup Kiwanis Club with money earned going toward such community projects as Thanksgiving food baskets for at least 50 families, sponsorship of Key Clubs at Raceland-Worthington and Russell high schools where an annual scholarship is offered each year, and annual contributions to the county’s three schools’ Family Resource Centers, Shop with a Cop and the Greenup library’s summer reading program.

The races are considered among the best in the Tri-State area and Gearhart said, “I think we have everything organized to put on a first class event.”

Run By The River offers competitive runs in both men’s and women’s divisions for the 5K and 10K races. Walkers (5K only) will receive times and a finisher medal.

Trophies are given to the first and second place finishers for men and women in both the 5K and 10K races. Medals are given to the top three finishers in age catgories that start at 9 and under and go to 80 and over in five year intervals starting with 10-14 (men’s and women’s divisions in both 5K and 10K events).

All registered runners will receive a Run By The River t-shirt which will be mailed about 10 days after the race.

Race day registration will open at 7:00 a.m. at the Russell Senior Citizens Center. Preregistered runners will need to check in to pick up their race bibs.

Races start in front of the Russell Fire Department at 8:30. The race course follows Bellefonte Street to Clinton, out Clinton to the river, up the river road to Houston Street, out Houston, then behind the fire station to Etna, then along the River Road toward Worthington.

5K runners turn around on the River Road and come back to Russell; 10K runners follow the course through Worthington then back to Russell. Water stations are located at the 5K turnaround, on Fisher Street in Worthington and at the finish line.

Bananas will be available at the finish line as will pizza from Giovanni’s of Flatwoods.

Additional information is available by contacting race director Tim Gearhart at timgearhart204@att.net or at 740-532-9688. You can also follow Run By The River on Facebook, where results will be posted after the race.