Back to Normal: Fitger’s 5k returns to full capacity, universal starting line

A staple of the Twin Ports community is Grandma’s Marathon each summer. Throughout the year, Grandma’s Marathon hosts a number of other races, including the Fitger’s 5K, which is taking off in just a few weeks.

Zach Schneider, the Marketing and PR director for Grandma’s Marathon visited the Good Morning Northland studio to share some of the changes coming to the 5k taking place on April 23rd.

"Now we’re getting back to what our races are supposed to be about. This year, with 2,000 participants, we’re back to full capacity. We get to send all those runners off at one time from the start corral — so there is that sense of community, that energy, back within the race," said Schneider

"Last year for this race, we had 900 runners, all whose starting times were spread over an hour and a half in different waves to keep everybody as separated as possible."

Schneider says this is the light at the end of the tunnel that race officials have been talking about for over two years now.

As an added bonus, all of these races ahead of the big marathon fundraise for the Young Athletes Foundation, which is an offset of Grandma’s Marathon.

"That organization turns around and puts that money right back into our community through a series of grants, running shoe programs, and scholarships. Since the development of the YAF back in the 1990s, we’ve given over $1.1 million back into the community," Schneider said. "These races are a way for us to bring our local community together and then use the money to help improve the lives of kids and young athletes throughout the region."

The Fitger’s 5k is welcome to runners of all skill levels and types, and registration is still open on their website.