Support Food Insecure Families At Backpack Buddies 5K

CARTERSVILLE, GA — Runners and walkers of all types are invited to participate in the third annual Downtown Cartersville 5K Road Race to benefit Backpack Buddies, which provides food insecure families with weekend meals during the school year.

The race runs on Saturday, Aug. 24. The course is a 5K course certified by USA Track and Field (USATF) and will start and finish in downtown Cartersville. The race is a Peachtree Road Race qualifier.

After the race, participants are invited to stay a while for award presentations, vendor tents, live music and even a craft beer.

Preregistration is $25, while same-day registration is $35. Pre-race packet pick up is Friday, Aug. 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Anytime Fitness Cartersville location, at 10 Slope Dr. off of N. Tennessee Street.

Here's the race day schedule:

• 6:30 a.m.: registration begins
• 7:30 a.m.: registration ends
• 7:58 a.m.: wheelchair division starts
• 8 a.m.: 5K run/walk begins
• 9:15 a.m.: awards

Visit the ACTIVE website to register for the 5K.

There will be awards for the top three overall men's and women's races, top three masters men's and women's, top grandmaster men's and women's and overall wheelchair men's and women's. The top three in each age category will win a medal.

(For more news like this, sign up for Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news in Cartersville — or other neighborhoods. Access Patch on the go with our iPhone app or our brand new app for Android phone users.)

The Cartersville Police Department is providing road blockage services for the race, and some of the cops are participating.

Here's the route, according to the police department:

"Starting point is on Church Street at the Courthouse traveling east to Erwin St, then south (right) to Cherokee Avenue, the west (right) to Cassville Road, the north (right) to Erwin Street, then south (right) back to Church Street, then west (right) to Bartow Street, then south (left) to Cherokee Avenue, then east (left) to Friendship Plaza."