Zanesville’s Thanksgiving morning tradition returns for a 19th year on Thursday, November 26, when the Race for Grace 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk winds through downtown to raise money for local programs fighting food insecurity, according to a community announcement from the event’s presenters.
The event is presented by Eastside Community Ministry, Grace Church and the Zanesville Noon Rotary Club, and all proceeds support Eastside Community Ministry’s Choice Food Pantry and the Rotary Club’s Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds programs. Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities are welcome.
The need behind the race is year-round. The Choice Food Pantry lets families visit once a month and choose groceries intended to provide about three meals a day for three days for each person in the household, according to the announcement. The pantry serves more than 5,000 families and provides enough groceries for more than 150,000 meals each year.
The Rotary’s Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds program works with schools and organizations to address food insecurity among children. This summer, the program provided 200 meal bags for low-income children to help bridge the gap in summer meal programs around the Fourth of July.
The 5K begins and ends at Grace Church, following a primarily flat route through downtown Zanesville. Entry is $30 for registration through November 25 and $35 for race-day registration. The 1-mile walk is free, though the free registration does not include a race packet or event shirt; an optional packet and shirt cost $15.
Registered 5K participants who choose the race packet option receive a custom long-sleeve technical race shirt, and all 5K finishers receive a custom Race for Grace finisher medal. After the finish, participants can head inside Grace Church for coffee and hot chocolate, with parking available at the church and throughout downtown.
Pre-event packet pickup runs from noon to 7 p.m. on November 24 and 25 at Grace Church, and race-day packet pickup and registration open at 7 a.m. Awards go to the top three overall male and female finishers and the top three male and female finishers in 15 age categories. Registration is available online through RunSignup. What happens next: organizers will be watching the registration count climb through November 25 — every entry puts meals on a Muskingum County table.