The University of West Georgia will host between 500 and 600 competitors at the twenty-seventh annual Run for UWG on Thursday, Oct. 4 at University Stadium.
“Run for UWG is a big event for the university,” said director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, Frank Pritchett. “It draws a lot of people to the campus that otherwise might not have any other reason to visit. It gives us the opportunity to showcase the campus and give out information.”
The yearly event consists of three separate events: a one-mile fun run, a tot trot and a five-kilometer run through the athletic complex, all with varying levels of competition.
“The competition level depends on what event you run in,” said Pritchett. ”The one-mile race is more for fun than competition. On the other hand, the five-kilometer run is a sanctioned Run and See Georgia event. Runners from all over metro-Atlanta will come to compete.”
New to the event is the five-kilometer relay race. Instead of running the full five kilometers, the competitors have the opportunity to join a team and run a one-mile leg before passing the baton to their teammate.
Winners of the timed five-kilometer races will be announced in age groups ranging from ten and under to 70 and over. Awards will also be given to overall race winners, relay race winners as well as the male and female grand masters.
Recently, with the addition of the athletic complex, the course moved away from an off-campus site. The new course starts at University stadium and circles the intramural and softball fields before climbing the first hill. The turnaround occurs in front of the Coliseum and continues back toward the stadium and the finish line.
“The stadium course serves the runners well because there is no traffic to worry about and it is actually quite challenging,” said Pritchett.
Students and faculty alike will be found among the crowd of racers supporting UWG students.
“I had a lot of fun participating with friends and coworkers,” said Trent Ross, the assistant director of administration at the Coliseum. “It was definitely a challenging course, but I am looking forward to taking part again and contributing to a great cause.”
The cost of the race is $15 for all UWG students and $20 for those not currently attending the university. All of the proceeds from the race are used to serve the students at UWG.
“The money made at the event goes into the annual fund which supports student scholarships at the university,” said Pritchett. “The race is one of the most important sources for the fund.”
For more information concerning the race, including the application and a map of the course, visit http://www.westga.edu/alumni/index_20086.php or contact the Alumni Office.
This race was a ton of fun and well organized. I can’t wait to participate again next year!