SPRUCE PINE — The annual Run for Holland charity race will take on a new form this year due to the ongoing pandemic.
Run for Holland, which is presented by nonprofit Run for Holland Foundation, raises money for down syndrome awareness through an annual 5K and 10K race that in previous years, has sent scores of runners through Spruce Pine on a set track.
The Run for Holland Board of Directors announced this past May that the annual race would be postponed to Sept. 19. As the September date quickly approached, the board then made the decision to make the event completely virtual.
“Ultimately, we wanted to make sure the safety of the participants and the community is put first,” Race Organizer Adam Burleson said. “We are focused on persevering through this ever-changing situation.”
The board decided the safety of the runners, walkers, volunteers, families, spectators and the community was the most important thing to consider.
“Our foundation cares deeply about this event, the cause and the community as a whole,” Burleson said. “Keep in mind that the decision to cancel or postpone an event of any size is not an easy call for a race director or organization.”
While this year’s Run for Holland will be different in format, the general spirit remains the same— raising funds for the special needs community.
Race day budget, advertising, cash prizes, donations and all virtual signup dollars will be transitioned directly into grant funds to give to deserving applicants within the special needs community that need additional funding during the pandemic.
“Despite the circumstances being far from perfect, Run for Holland brings the same passion and creativity to our virtual event,” Burleson said. “We have worked hard on creating an exciting plan to continue participating from a distance.”
Those interested in participating in the virtual race can register online. Those who are already registered will be converted to the virtual race option.
All who register will be shipped their limited edition 2020 T-shirt.
Participants must run their 5K distance between Sunday, Sept. 13 and Saturday, Sept. 19 and are asked to bring along their favorite tracking device.
When finished, runners will take a picture or screenshot of their distance and time and upload the results online.
After the event is finished, random winners will be drawn from the roster of participants. Those winners will receive a variety of prizes that were originally slated to be in-person raffle prizes.
There will be no medals or awards for top runners in this year’s event due to all participants not running on the same course.
Prizes will also be awarded for most creative route, run route art, craziest socks and best costume sent to the Run for Holland social media platforms.
The board plans to release more details on prizes and contest parameters as the event draws closer.
Follow Run For Holland on Facebook @RunForHolland and register for this year’s race online at runsignup.com/register/?raceid=26138.