Saint Stephen

BRADENTON - This year marks the 10th annual Falcon 5K and one-mile “Fun Run” hosted by Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton. The event will be held this Saturday, February 8. Participants who register will receive a t-shirt, chip timing provided by S2 Timing as well as a pancake breakfast in honor of the tenth year anniversary of the race. The race is set for 8 a.m.

“At Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School, we impress upon our students the importance of having a healthy body and a healthy mind," said Dr. Janet Pullen, Head of School at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in a release announcing the event. "Along with our strong academic program, our students participate in physical education several times a week, and they are encouraged to become involved in any of our 42 sports teams. We want our students to feel equipped mentally and physically for success, and events like the Falcon 5K help us reinforce this idea. I hope to see lots of families out for the race.".

The 5K and Fun Run will begin at the School in the 3900 block of Manatee Avenue West in Bradenton, in the brand new state of the art Moore Athletic Center. Runners will begin the race on the new track and will conclude back in the stadium, where participants will be rewarded with the newest addition to the event: a pancake and sausage breakfast, provided by Popi’s Place Family Restaurant, complemented with yogurt parfaits and muffins from First Watch, coffee and sweet treats from Dunkin Donuts and orange juice from Tropicana.

After the race, an award ceremony will be held where the first three male and female finishers in each age division will receive a medal. Titles such as Overall, Masters, Grand Masters and Senior and Veteran Grand Masters will be awarded with trophies, and participation ribbons will be given to all of the one mile Fun Run finishers, provided by the Trophy Case of Bradenton.

The race is sponsored by the Athletic Booster Committee in addition to several local businesses, including the Bradenton Hound and Coastal Orthopedic, corporate sponsors of the event. The race is sanctioned by The Suncoast Striders Walking and Running Club along with the Road Runners Club of America.

Pre-registration for participants age 18 and over is $20 and $15 for participants under the age of 18. Online registration will close as of February 5, 2014 and participants who wish to register after that date can do so on the day of the event from 7:00am - 7:40am, and registration for all individuals the day of the event is $25. All proceeds from this race will go toward helping to further enhance the athletic programs at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School.

For safety reasons, participants are asked to avoid bringing animals, using headphones, strollers, baby joggers, bicycles, skates, or skateboards. To pre-register, or find additional information, visit www.saintstephens.org/5K.