PITTSTON — The city’s Main Street has a knack for hosting some of the area’s best run/walks, and Miles for Michael is no exception.
The 19th Annual Miles for Michael/Pittston Tomato Festival 5K run will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19 in downtown Pittston. The run is 3.1 miles, but if you’re not a runner, don’t worry.
A Fun Walk will accompany the 5K through the streets of downtown, will be 1.5 miles and won’t take on any hills.
Race organizer Jay Duffy said last year was the first time the race included a fun walk, and this year he’s hoping to put more emphasis on it.
“Last year was the first year and we put it together at the last minute, but we’re hoping for more participants,” he said. “It’s just a one-mile loop around the perimeter of Pittston. It’s a bit more casual and laid back than the competitive run.”
The event benefits Miles for Michael, a local non-profit organization that helps families battling cancer. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Greater Pittston YMCA, Main Street.
Prior to the race, Duffy said a moment of silence will be held for former Pittston City Police Chief Greg Policare, who lost his battle with acute myeloid leukemia on Aug. 1 at the age of 57.
The run course is relatively flat with moderate hills. A 5K loop around the perimeter of Pittston includes running over the Water Street and Fort Jenkins bridges. Streets will be traffic controlled and miles will be marked. The course begins just north of William and North Main streets and ends at the Tomato Festival grounds on South Main Street.
The Scranton Running Company will return to help track the results of all runners.
Chris McCabe, of Wyoming, was the first place overall finisher last year with a time of 16:21 while Scranton’s Caitlin Gaughan was the first female finisher with a time of 19:03.
From each application, $4 will be donated to the Miles for Michael Fund. Last year, the run brought in $2,500 for the charity. Runners will have full use of the YMCA facilities on the day of the race. T-shirts will be given to the first 150 entrants of the race and to the first 25 walkers to register.
Trophies will be awarded to the top three male and female runners. A split time will be provided at one mile with a water station at the two-mile mark. An awards ceremony will be held on the Tomato Festival grounds following the race. Medals will be awarded to first place in the following age categories: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-59 and 60 and older.
The walk will begin from the same location as the run, will head over the bridges and up Kennedy Boulevard to the Columbus statue, finishing at the Tomato Festival grounds.
Participants interested in registering online may visit runsignup.com/pittstontomatofest.
