Fitness 5K and kids run kick off Guilford’s Piscataquis River Festival

GUILFORD — Friends of Community Fitness will host its annual 5K race/walk and children’s fun run on the morning of Saturday, July 29 as part of the Piscataquis River Festival.

The kids race starts at 7:30 a.m. at the downtown recreational fields, with registration beginning at 7 a.m. The event is free, and the first 24 youngsters will receive a T-shirt and ribbon. Awards will be presented to first through third place.

The 5K starts at 8 a.m. with registration at 7:30 a.m. This year the course will again be reversed with participants running and walking facing traffic — the opposite direction of years before. Those taking part will be timed with prizes awarded to the top three.

Registration forms are available at www.comfitme.com and registration may be also be done on the morning of July 29. For more information, please contact 876-4813 or friendsofitness@myfairpoint.net.

Previous Fitness 5K winners (year, men’s winner and time and women’s winner and time): 2006 Jerod Hayes 20:32; 2008 Dean Hartley 21:45 and Sarah Curtis 22:53; 2009 Joe Gallant 21:02 and Jill Taylor 23:41; 2010 Jason Abbott-Dallamora 18:19 and Trisha Moulton 24:21; 2011 Abbott-Dallamora and Mike Coffey 19:15 and Rebecca Gaw 22:52; 2012 Abbott-Dallamora 18:27 and Katherine Arch 21:06; 2013 David Doore 18:14 and Katherine Arch and Mary Arch 21:01; 2014 Doore 18:53 and Moulton 25:43; 2015 Zach Doore 21:15 and Amalia Harrington 23:11; and 2016 Dawson Smith 21:41 and Brenda White 23:30.

Observer file photo/Stuart Hedstrom
FIT TO RUN A 5K — Over 30 entrants took part in Friends of Community Fitness’ 2016 Fitness 5K as part of Guilford’s Piscataquis River Festival. Last year’s race featured a reverse course, with runners traveling against traffic to Hudson Avenue, into Sangerville and back to the downtown athletic fields via the Guilford Memorial River Walk. The 2017 5K will start at 8 a.m., with registration at 7:30 a.m.