The 15th annual Fiddler 5K and One Mile Fun Run, sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County will be Saturday, July 6, the weekend of the Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree. All proceeds from the race will be used in building another Habitat for Humanity home in DeKalb County.
The race will begin promptly at 7:00 a.m., RAIN OR SHINE. The course begins and ends on Church Street in Downtown Smithville. “We changed the course just a little bit last year,” said Race Director Tecia Puckett Pryor. “We will start in front of the Life Enrichment Center on Church Street right beside the First Baptist Church. We’re no longer out on Highway 56. That has worked really well. People seem to enjoy it and we have a really great time putting it on. We’ve had about 400 walkers and runners the last few years and we’re expecting a great turnout again this year. We will still be doing chip timing but we’re using a new timing company this year, Tennessee Race Timing of Cookeville,” said Pryor.
To obtain a register form or for more information about the race, you may visit www.fiddler5k.com. “It (website) has registration information, a link to on-line registration, and a PDF of the printed registration form which you can fill out and mail in to our post office box,” said Pryor. “We’re offering pre-registration discounts up through midnight July 3 on-line. Paper registrations must be in by July 1. We’re offering some early bird savings. If you register by June 8 either by paper or on-line you will get an additional $5.00 off. So if you know you’re going to participate in the race, now would be a good time to get registered. If you pre-register this year we are going to offer early race pickup so you can pick up your bib with your chip, tee shirt and everything on Friday evening, July 5. It’s probably going to be from around 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in front of the First Baptist Life Enrichment Center. You will get an email confirming that time so you won’t have to arrive quite as early on Saturday morning if you pre-register and pick up your packet early. As usual, you can also register on race day. You have to be there at 6:00 a.m. and bring a completed form with you if you register on race day,” she said.
Sponsors are also welcome. “If you would like information on how to be a sponsor of the race, either a t-shirt, mile marker, or turn sign sponsor, or if you would like to provide items for our goodie bags, or be a volunteer in helping us with the race, call 597-7370 or you can email director@fiddler5k.com,” said Pryor.
Spectators are urged to come out and cheer on the runners the morning of the race. “If you live near or along the race course which goes by the golf course and Riley Avenue and up West Main Street and through down town, we would encourage you to come out and cheer on the runners. They would love to have that support,” said Pryor.
Funds raised through the Fiddler 5K support Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County. “We just finished our fourth house and had a dedication. We are in the process of selecting our fifth partner family in DeKalb County. We’ll start construction on that family’s house sometime later this year,” she said.
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