Athens, Ga. – University of Georgia alumni, faculty, staff and students, as well as members of the Athens community will gather on the university campus for the 5th Annual Dawg Trot 5K Run/Walk on March 17. With almost 800 participants, the race, which is sponsored by the UGA Alumni Association, has grown to be one of Northeast Georgia’s largest 5Ks.
The course will start at Stegeman Coliseum beside the Rankin Smith Athletic Academic Center and end in the Coliseum parking lot next to the Carlton Street parking deck. A course map can be viewed at http://alumni.uga.edu/alumni/pdfs/5K_RaceCourse.pdf. Awards will be presented to the overall male/female winners, overall male/female winners in the masters division and the top three finishers in each age group. T-shirts will be given to participants who pre-registered and are available for purchase the day of the event. Refreshments will be provided after the race.
There will be special prizes for children participating in the pre-race Fun Run. UGA Alumni Association sponsor Liberty Mutual will give away a red cruiser bicycle. To qualify, participants can visit the Liberty Mutual table at the race and should be present at the end for the giveaway. The winner must arrange for transportation of the bicycle.
“The Dawg Trot has become an annual touchstone for our alumni and their families to come back to Athens and enjoy the beauty of campus,” said Wanda Darden, the event’s director. “We feel that the course is challenging enough for the seasoned runner, while being accessible for the casual walker who simply wishes to enjoy a stroll through campus.”
Day-of registration opens at 7 a.m., with the half-mile Fun Run beginning at 7:30 a.m. A pre-race warm up offered by Jazzercize will begin at 7:30 a.m. The 5K run/walk will start promptly at 8 a.m.
Pre-registered participants may pick up their race packets on March 15 from 9:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. and on March 16 from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. at the UGA Alumni Office, which is located in the Wray-Nicholson House at 298 South Hull Street.
Registration is $25 per individual or $15 without a t-shirt. Teams of 10 may register for $150 per team. Walk-up registrations will be accepted. To register and view a special promotional video produced by UGA students, see the official Dawg Trot 5K Web page at www.alumni.uga.edu/dawgtrot.