By: Greg Ziegler
On your mark, get set… Stampede!
It’s that time of year again. Time for the annual Spring Stampede, a 5k run that will be held on Sat. May 18 th , in the heart of downtown Chester. This year marks the 9 th consecutive year that the event is being held. New for this year will be a “Color Fun Run” which is open to both kids and adults. Teachers from the Chester Public School district will shower participants in colored powders as they pass through each of the three designated color stations.
Registration and check-in begin at 7:00 a.m. at the Gazebo at Municipal Field, 134 Main Street. The 5K race kicks off at 8:00 a.m. on a course certified by the U.S. Track & Field Association and will crisscross historic downtown Chester before winding through the heart of the Shadow Ridge neighborhood before finishing at Municipal Field. The overall male and female first place finishers will receive a trophy and a gift card. In addition the top three male and female finishers in each age bracket will be awarded medals for their efforts with gold, silver, and bronze going to the first, second, and third place finishers respectively.
The race is organized by the Educational Foundation of the Chester’s to raise money to benefit the Chester Public School District. Parents and teachers volunteer their time to organize and operate the event which last year had over 300 participants and raised $15,000. The funds are used to enhance the educational experience of the students in the Chester Public Schools by providing funding for student clubs such as the Chess club and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) club, sponsoring author visits to the school, purchasing new software, and hosting special assemblies, to name but a few.
Registration for the race and the Color Fun Run may be done online at
https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/Chester/SpringStampede5K.
The registration fee for online registration by May 13 th is $25 for the 5k race and $20 for the Color Fun Run. Participants who register online by May 8 th are eligible to receive a free t-shirt (while supplies last).
Registration may also be done on the day of the event but is subject to a same day registration price increase.
So lace up your sneakers and get ready to run or jog for a great cause.