The Spa Running Festival debuts this Saturday in Hot Springs, but it's a familiar event with a new name and an additional race.
Previously known as the Spa 10K, the event was founded in 1982 and has been a part of the Arkansas Grand Prix Series since 1983.
The 10K is still the anchor event of the Spa Running Festival. It begins at 8 a.m. on Convention Boulevard in front of the Embassy Suites Hotel. The course will take runners on a tour of downtown Hot Springs, through the hillside woodlands of West Mountain, before finishing with a jaunt through the Quapaw Historic District and a return to Convention Boulevard. The 10K course is certified to USA Track & Field standards, and so any speed records set on its 6.2 miles count.
This year ushers in the inaugural running of the Spa Half Marathon -- Summit(2) Challenge. It will begin at 7 a.m. and follows the same route as the 10K except that shortly after the fourth mile, half-marathoners will split off on a detour to the summit of West Mountain. This detour involves a loop that must be completed twice before they return to the 10K path to the finish line. The summit detour provides runners a long, slow hill where the elevation climbs approximately 500 feet over 2 miles.
There will be six aid stations sprinkled throughout the half-marathon course. Organizers make special note that only the aid station at the turn to go up the summit will offer sports drinks. The other stations will provide water.
You must be at least 13 to run unaccompanied, and runners must be able to maintain at least a 16-minute-per-mile pace to finish by 10:30 a.m., when the race course will close and any remaining runners will be moved to the sidewalks.
The half-marathon is capped at 250 runners, and 219 had already signed up by Nov. 10. Race organizers do not expect there to be any spots left to fill in the half-marathon on race day. So if the half-marathon is your race of choice, it might be wise to skip to the end of this story and proceed directly to the website for immediate registration. (Good luck.)
There will also be a 5K beginning at 8 a.m. Participants will be asked to choose between running and walking. Runners beware! If you choose the walking option, you must walk the entire race, no running allowed. For those who are unsure, this is different from a "fun run" where organizers don't care if you cartwheel through the course. Racewalking is its own distinct discipline, and walking is defined as having one foot touching the ground at all times.
The final race of the day will be the Squirt Race at 9:30 a.m. for children 2 to 10. Parents can run or walk with the younger kids. All (child) finishers will get a medal, and awards will be given to the top three boys and three girls from age divisions. Entry fee is $10 per child.
Online registration ends at midnight Tuesday. The 5K and 10K cost $35 each, and the half-marathon is $55. On-site registration will be available for an extra $5. The fee includes a technical-fabric T-shirt.
Registration and packet pickup will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa, 239 Central Ave. Race-day registration and packet pickup will be 6 to 7:30 a.m. Saturday at the Bank of the Ozarks Arena, 134 Convention Blvd.
Racers will be chip-timed, but as opposed to previous years when the chips had to be turned in at the end of the race, this year, disposable chips will be used in the form of electronic reader strips attached to the race bibs.
Awards will be given to the top three finishers by age group and sex in each race. Awards ceremonies will take place in Rooms 207/208 of the Convention Center: 5K at 9 a.m., 10K at 10:15 a.m., and Summit(2) Challenge Half Marathon at 11 a.m.
The Post-Race Party will be 5 to 8 p.m. in Lagniappe Restaurant at the Oaklawn racetrack, 2705 Central Ave. There will be a pasta buffet, a cash bar and entertainment in Pop's Lounge. Each race participant will receive one ticket to the party with an RSVP, but you must be 21 to attend due to age restrictions in the gambling area. Extra tickets will cost $15. Also, Oaklawn is giving a $10 free play coupon to any runners who feel like testing their post-race luck.
See sparunningfestival.com.
Arkansas ALE Run
The inaugural Arkansas ALE Run kicks off its first wave at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Pleasant Ridge Shopping Center, 11525 Cantrell Road, Little Rock.
The structure of the race is simple. Participants will be grouped into waves of 10 to 15. They will begin the race by chugging a beer, then they will run a quarter-mile lap around the shopping center. This activity will be repeated until every contestant has run a mile and consumed four beers.
Racers will be chip-timed and awards will be given to the top three finishers by sex with a separate category for those under 21. A post-race celebration will include a Kids Zone, food tables, sidewalk shopping, music and a photo booth.
The No. 1 rule, according to the website, is obvious and extremely straightforward: Every racer must have a designated driver (or taxi) to get home.
Other rules: Beer must be consumed within the "transition area" which is a 10-meter zone before the start/finish line. Beer will be provided, but if runners prefer to bring their own, specialized wide-mouth cans or bottles are not permitted; cans should be at least 12 ounces; and no methods to make the contents pour faster, such as puncturing the can, are allowed. Also, beer must be at least 5 percent alcohol by volume; hard ciders and lemonades are prohibited.
Not 21? Don't drink? You can still compete, but root beer will be substituted for your chugging purposes.
Registration can be placed online at alsinwonderland.com/alerun for $30, which includes a T-shirt, four beers (or root beers) and a swag bag. You can also register in person at the event until 2:30 p.m.
Proceeds benefit the ALS in Wonderland Foundation.
ActiveStyle on 11/16/2015