(828) 526-0173 | [email protected] | Copyright 2024 – All Rights Reserved.
Run for the Fun of It: Twilight 5k
Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: April - 2022
The Twilight 5K Race is set for August 13. That gives you plenty of time to get those abs, hamstrings, glutes and calves into springy shape. And find some comfy shoes, too!
On August 13, Highlanders can expect to see a pack of runners whirring out of Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park, past splendid Harris Lake, ascending and descending hills and trails before returning to the park.
The sneaker-clad feet breezing past you are participating in the annual Rotary Club of Highlands Twilight 5K Race – reveling in the diverse flora and idyllic scenery of the Highlands Plateau.
It’s a winding yet mostly flat course suited to participants of all athletic prowess, and ideal for enthusiasts at any age. From its beginnings in 2013, it has been both a USA Track & Field qualifying event, and the race of choice for running enthusiasts from amateurs to the more accomplished seeking to improve their time.
Runners completing the course will celebrate their accomplishment with a complimentary beer from the Ugly Dog Pub and light up necklaces for the kids.
Awards will be presented to overall top male and female, and top 3 finishers in each 5-year age division.
Performing free for all – racers or not – are McIntosh and the Lionhearts. Founded in 2019 by Brevard native and front man Spalding McIntosh, the Lionhearts are a versatile ensemble of pros, presenting Spalding’s complex compositions on home, love, and the challenges of manhood, all in a tight, rolling groove.
Like so many other sporting events, the last two years have been fraught with difficulties. As Twilight Race organizer Derek Taylor told me, “Proceeds from 2020 and 2021 events combined have equaled only one year.” Owing to the pandemic, the August 2020 race was canceled, and postponed to May 2021. In an effort to recoup the past year’s losses, a second race was set for August. It was to be the second race of the year. Instead, just as officials were about to pull the trigger on the starting gun, thunder blared, lightning flashed, and rain poured down. Once again, the race was called off.
Taylor remains hopeful that 2022 “will be a return to normal,” and urges everyone to “Please get off the couch and come run and help us raise money.” He anticipates about 250 runners and hopes that 2022 will generate funds equivalent to those of past years (the 2019 race generated $25,000) on behalf of the Highlands Education Committee which supports the Highlands School directly.
The race attracts everyone from young to old and fit to not so. Free for kids under 5 and $10 for those 5 to 9. There is an introductory price of $30. $40 on race day. More race details are at highlandstwilightrun.com.
