Greyhound 5k Features Plenty of Fun for Kids

A Pup Dash, train rides, a three-attraction inflatables “park,” and face painting make the Third Annual Greyhound 5k Walk/Run at Mid-South Community College a great event for kids.

Activities will take place on Saturday, Oct. 4, near the Marion Berry Renewable Energy Center on MSCC’s North Campus. The 5k begins at 9 a.m., and the Kids’ Zone, sponsored by The Works Health and Fitness Center, is scheduled to open at 9:15. The Pup Dash, open to kids of all ages, will start at 10.

Registration for all events is available at http://greyhound5k.racesonline.com. Online and mail-in signup are available, and the 5k fee is $20. For students at MSCC and area high schools, a special $10 entry fee applies through Thursday, Oct. 2. Registration for the “Pup Dash” is only $10 as well.
Proceeds from the race will go toward scholarships for MSCC student-athletes.

For people who want to support the scholarship effort but don’t want to walk or run, the College is offering a “Spirit Runner” registration which costs $15.

All paid registrants will receive a red, custom-designed Greyhound 5k T-shirt and post-race fruit, snacks, and drinks.

Numerous awards will be on the line for serious competitors. The Top 3 Male and Female finishers, the Top Masters Male and Female, and the Top Grand Masters Male and Female will all receive special recognition. In addition, awards will go to the top male and female finishers 9 & Under, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, and 65+ categories.

In collaboration with Southland Park Gaming and Racing and Start 2 Finish Event Management, the College expects a big crowd for the third straight year. In 2013, people from 31 cities and towns in Arkansas, Colorado, California, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee, registered for the event.

The 5k will start and finish at the Marion Berry Renewable Center. The 3.1-mile walk-run features a flat/fast route that highlights the College’s north and south campuses and takes participants through the neighborhood west of Meadowbrook Country Club.

Southland, which helped fund the start of MSCC’s intercollegiate athletic program with a 10-year, $250,000 pledge in 2010, is once again serving as title sponsor for the popular event.

Start 2 Finish, one of the premier health-oriented event management companies in the region, is a silver sponsor and will manage and chip time the run. S2F will provide top-of-the-line technology to make the Greyhound 5K a first-class event.

In addition to Southland, Start 2 Finish, and The Works, contributors to the event include Evolve Bank (Platinum sponsorship); Flash Market, Inc., Ford of West Memphis, and Steele-Guiltner Tire Pros (Gold); Arkansas Distributing Company, Barton Powersports, Barton’s of West Memphis, Comfort Suites, The Evening Times, Fenter Physical Therapy, Fidelity Insurance Group, Fidelity National Bank, First Community Bank, State Rep. Deborah Ferguson, The Landers Firm PLLC, Ritter Disposables Inc., Steve’s Auto Body & Towing (Silver); and Acme Pest Control, BBA Solutions (textbook company that operates on the MSCC campus), CareerPro Drug Screening, Fogleman Firm LLC, Greenway Equipment Company, and Holly Chevrolet.

Area businesses interested in joining the effort still have time to sign up as sponsors. For sponsorship/general information about the Greyhound 5k, call Kathy Bennett at (870) 733-6866 or email her at kbennett@midsouthcc.edu.