NAMI LV 5K Run/Walk for Mental Illness Awareness

The annual NAMI Lehigh Valley 5K Race & Walk for Mental Illness will occur on Sunday, September 29, 2019, at the beautiful Wayne A. Grube Memorial Park, 1200 Willowbrook Rd, Northampton, PA 18067, rain or shine. We have moved the event due to construction.  Link to the park GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 40.676396, Longitude: -75.461745. PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!  If you enter the street address, your GPS will take you a half-mile PAST the park :-0

All RACE participants receive T-shirts (till they last) and tickets for a basket raffle; bagels, fruit, and coffee before and after the race; and hot dogs (regular and vegan options), water, & chips afterward. WHY HOT DOGS AT A RACE, you ask? Because this is not just a race, it is also a Walk and a Community Event!! 

RACE PRIZES: Prizes for First, Second, and Third Place female and male overall; also for First Place only in each age bracket, female and male: 19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80 and above.  WINNERS also receive the area's only EDIBLE medals from Custom Cookies by Elizabeth! We are delighted to be professionally timed by Pretzel City Sports this year!!!

Walkers will share a part of the course with the runners. Please walk no more than two abreast and yield to runners. Walkers who want to walk a 5-K can pick up instructions at the event. Walkers register online (preferred) or at the event. Participants receive tickets for a basket raffle. The walk is free, but a donation of $5 or more is appreciated to support our event. We ask Walkers to preregister as usual to save time at the even.You will receive T-shirts on a first-come, first-served basis at the event as long as the supply lasts.

All participants will enjoy live music and a playgrounds for children. There is small paved track on which young children can ride their bikes. No strollers or runners under age 14 in the race, but they are welcome at the Walk. Indoor restrooms. We are sorry, but this is no longer a dog friendly event because of the rules at the new park. 

5K Race Course Description: The 5K race will start in the park, then will turn left to continue on the Nor-Bath Rail Trail to Northampton. It is an out and back race, mostly on macadam and gravel. There is one road that will be crossed. We will have volunteers to work the crossing; there will be one water station. Please note that walkers will share the course with you near the finish line 

5K Race Results will be posted at https://www.pretzelcitysports.com/race-results/2019-results/

Individual participant fundraising is not required, but it is appreciated. Last year we earned more than $18,500. We hope to raise even more this year. Do you own a business? Would you care to be a sponsor? If so, please contact Maggie Murphy [email protected]

If you wish for your registration fee or donation to benefit the Vivek Ananthan Youth Initiative, please state this in a note to the Race Director using the "Race Contact Info"  button.  

Registration fees and donations stay in the Lehigh Valley to improve the quality of life for people affected by mental illness through education, support, and advocacy. Visit www.nami-lv.org for more information about NAMI Lehigh Valley, a grassroots nonprofit mental health organization. Runners: register by September 18 to guarantee a shirt! ONLINE REGISTRATION ENDS WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25, at 4 PM. There will be same-day registration, cash or check only. 

Check out these REALLY sweet photos of last year's Race and Walk:

https://www.louwheeland.com/NAMI-of-Lehigh-Valley-5K-09-30-2018/ 

Please check out our Facebook page for the event, including terrific photos from volunteers: https://www.facebook.com/NAMILV5KRaceAndWalk/

We hope that you will consider volunteering and sharing our race on social media: tinyurl.com/yc93xrcx

Thank you!!  See you in September! We can't wait to share this community event with you at this beautiful new park!

Please note that any future emails from me will come via Race Sign Up, so please check your junk mail.

Connie Biwer Yaqub

Race Director