Spring time is almost here! And with comes…lots of opportunities to participate in 5k races. Well, and flowers, and blue skies, and spring break, and all sorts of other good stuff. But today we are going to talk about races.

If you are intimidated by the idea of entering a 5k (which is 3.1 miles), don’t be. Many people walk, some do a combination of walking and running, and then there are the real competitors. For the majority of participants a 5k is a chance to socialize, meet people, and often, to support a good cause.

Here are a few races that are coming up:

The Run with Trish 5K for Team Hoyt will be held on March 2, at the Tennessee River Park. This run is to raise funds to help TeamHoyt compete in the Boston Marathon. They will be competing to support The Hoyt Foundation, which works to help integrate handicapped people into everyday activities so they can lead full and productive lives more easily.

Have some fun and do some good running in the Wash Me Pink Color Run, benefitting the Susan Komen Foundation. “Color runs” are a new kind of event that involve runners being doused with colored corn starch during the race. In this race, runners start out in white shirts, and end up in pink ones!

Raise money for the Greater Chattanooga Colon Cancer Foundation by participating in the Rump Run at Enterprise South Nature Center on March 16. There will be a time 5K, and a 1 mile
fun run/walk.

Also on March 16, but in Ringgold, there is the 14th Annual GraduRUN to raise money for Communities in Schools in Catoosa County. This one has a special category for walkers for those who prefer to take things a little slower.

One of the most anticipated races of this spring is the new Color Me Rad 5K, a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In fact, this one is so anticipated that it is currently sold out, even though the event isn’t until March 30! Check it out, and get on the waiting list.

Another, similar race, Color Me Chattanooga, will be held on April 6, and raises money for the Signal Centers. This is the inaugural Color Me Chattanooga race, and is described as a “colorful and festive non-competitive run/walk.”

These are just a few of the fun running events that will be going on in and around Chattanooga this spring. You can check the RunningUSA site to find more!