50th Park Point 5-Miler Includes Post Race Celebration
After 50 years, the Park Point 5-Miler becomes one of the oldest races and will return at 6:30 pm on Thursday, July 15th, and includes a 2-mile walk.
The interesting story behind this race is it was the first one to come back for Grandma's Marathon and the Young Athletes Foundation after COVID-19 shut everything down. It was the first race to feature the wave start with shutes and had some other events that were socially distanced.
Now it's been a year and things are getting back to normal slowly and Greg Haapala the race director said in a press release that this race feels like the community in the race is coming back, and so is the mass start instead of the wave start. Haapala said the staff and volunteers are still approaching the race by being smart and respectful but is excited as this race comes back around to what it was before COVID.
The Runners will leave at 6:30 p.m. and participants in the 2-Mile walk starting 10 minutes later at 6:40 p.m. The course starts and finishes near the Park Point Beach House and has more than 400 signed up with a virtual feature offered. There is also a kids race for anyone ages 12 and under at 5:30 p.m. near the playground at Park Point. There are still spots open if you want to register at grandmasmarathon.com.
There will be an after-race celebration at the Park Point Beach House to commemorate the 50th year of the race. Grandma's Marathon will provide both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks with each finisher getting a free one. There will be a cash bar and live music after the race.
***If you are wanting to travel down to Minnesota Avenue on Park Point, it will be closed to traffic on the day of the race between 22nd Avenue and the Park Point Beach House from 6:00-7:45 p.m.