By Eric Poe/sports editor
Physical fitness and philanthropy will be combined April 20 during NE Campus’ annual Springtime Sprint 5K.
The race will begin at 12:15 p.m. on the track, where three laps equal 3.1 miles or five kilometers.
All participants are required to bring at least two canned food items as an entry fee when they register. The food will be donated to the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
Runners can pre-register in the gym at the supervisor’s desk or wait until race day to sign up by the tennis courts, where tables will be set up to take food donations and hand out running numbers.
NE intramural coordinator Laura Bradford expects 75-100 people to participate.
“A lot of PE instructors use it as makeup or extra credit for their students,” she said. “So that’s most of who runs. There are also plenty of walkers and moms with strollers.”
Bradford said the race isn’t geared toward competition but just getting out and exercising.
“People usually aren’t out there to win,” she said. “This is a friendly environment and a good place to test yourself. It helps to get your feet under you and see what running three miles feels like. Plus, you can you say you did it. You ran a 5K.”
Bradford and fellow NHPE staff will keep time for the race and be ready with first aid as well as track the number of laps for each runner.
On top of that, they will cheer and encourage the runners, she said.
Bradford stressed that anyone can enter the race.
“This is just one more thing people can participate in individually,” she said. “Anyone can come out and do this.”
