Fight Against Breast Cancer To Happen In Abilene For Seventh Year; 5K Is Now A Certified Course

Fight Against Breast Cancer To Happen In Abilene For Seventh Year; 5K Is Now A Certified Course

Shown above: Participants begin the 5K run prior to the 2-Mile Fun Walk at last year’s Impact the Cure.

The seventh annual Impact the Cure on October 1 will give both runners and non-runners of all ages the opportunity to celebrate life and raise funds to help fight breast cancer in Dickinson County. The Impact the Cure 5K is a certified course—USATF certification KS16006GAN. 

Impact the Cure is an annual Breast Cancer Awareness 5K Run and 2-Mile Fun Walk in downtown Abilene hosted by Impact Sports and Fitness, 418 N. Broadway, Abilene. The race will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, October 1, starting at Impact Sports and Fitness and is open to people of all ages and fitness levels.  

Pre-registration is $20 and includes an Impact the Cure long sleeve t-shirt. Couch Potato fee (for those who are unable to participate but wish to support the cause) is a donation of $20 and receive a t-shirt. Interested persons may pre-register at Impact Sports and Fitness or by visiting www.impactthecure.com (click on the registration tab). Please note there is a fee of $0.75 for all online registrations.

Registration the day of the event is $25 (t-shirt not guaranteed for day-of registrations). Registration and check-in begins at 7 a.m. on October 1 at Impact Sports & Fitness.

Impact the Cure offers a full schedule of activities beginning with an informal ceremony at 7:45 a.m. recognizing cancer survivors as a group. Survivors will receive a special gift (please note on the registration form if you are a cancer survivor). Following the race, enjoy a pancake breakfast and entertainment as Chris Cakes shows off their fancy pancake flipping skills! The breakfast is open to everyone in the community; you do not have to be registered for the run/walk to enjoy the breakfast. Booths with information about breast cancer and local health care resources will be available. There will also be vendor booths with pink breast cancer-related items and other pink merchandise available for purchase so you can stock up on your pink favorites! 

In its second year are the FREE kid’s races starting at 8:45 a.m. There’s a 100 Yard race for kindergarten & under, Down the Block race for 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd graders, and the Around the Block race for 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th graders. All participants in the kid’s races will receive a ribbon. The first three male and female finishers in each category will receive a place ribbon.

New this year is the Wiener Dog Race beginning at approximately 9 a.m. in the parking lot of Impact Sports & Fitness. The race is open to miniature dachshunds or at least half miniature dachshund breeds. The entry fee is $5 per dog the day of the event (no pre-registration), with all proceeds going to Impact the Cure. Be sure to put some pink on your dog to show support for the event (pink on the dog is not a requirement to participate). Enter your dog or come out and watch these dogs participate in the FRIENDLY competition to add to the fun of the day. The overall “wiener” will get a small prize and every participant will receive a ribbon with the first 20 dogs registered also receiving a shirt. It is fun to watch for everyone and it is free to watch!

Also new for the kids this year are the Bouncy House and Face Painting…free of charge! Parents must sign a waiver before a wristband can be provided.

An awards ceremony will follow the completion of all events. Overall male and female 5K winners, and 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place 5K finishers in each age group will be awarded. The fun walk is noncompetitive and will not have awards. All Impact the Cure participants will be entered into a drawing for prizes.

Proceeds raised by Impact the Cure will fund local breast health initiatives by providing free mammograms and mammography services to uninsured residents in Dickinson County. Mammograms and mammography services are provided by Memorial Hospital’s Imaging and Radiology Department, 511 NE 10th Street, in Abilene.

This is a wonderful event for your friends and family to enjoy. So bring them, along with your running shoes, and contribute to the local fight against breast cancer.

For more information on Impact the Cure, contact Impact Sports and Fitness at 785-263-3888 or visit www.impactthecure.com.