The inaugural GRAYT EASTER 5K and Easter Egg Hunt will be taking place at Grayton Beach State Park on Saturday, April 20, 2019. Race start is 8:00a. Both the start and finish line will be within Grayton Beach State Park.
All runners who pre-register by Monday, April 8th are guaranteed a race shirt. There will be an awards ceremony beginning at 9:00a. Local artist Melissa Mercer Brown is graciously painting and donating two original pieces of art - these will be the grand prize for the overall men's and women's 5K winners. Age-group awards for both males and females will also be given.
Snacks and drinks will also be available for all registered runners.
Timing for the Grayt Easter 5K will be provided by About-Time-Events, LLC.
An EASTER EGG HUNT for all children 8 years and below will be taking place on the beach at 9:30a, or upon conclusion of the awards ceremony.
NOTE: Due to parking limitations the race is limited to 130 runners.
Event Details and Schedule:
Course Info. The 5K begins adjacent the pavilion at the end of Main Park Road within Grayton Beach State Park. After race start, the course proceeds along Main Park Road to the park entrance, and then left on to the multi-purpose path along CR-30A. Runners proceed northwest on the multi-purpose path until reaching the four-way stop (adjacent Grayton Beach General Store), at which point a left turn is taken on to Defuniak Street.
Runners will run to the end of Defuniak, eventually entering the beach. Upon reaching the beach, the course heads east along the sand.
NOTE: There is no way to predict in advance if the “outflow,” connecting Western Lake to the Gulf of Mexico, will be opened. If it is opened, then it will be impossible to avoid running through water, meaning your shoes will get wet and then sandy. I will provide updates in the days and weeks leading to the race – status of the outflow will certainly be included. If open, and deeper than 12 inches on race morning, the route WILL be amended to avoid the outflow.
After running down the beach, runners will proceed back into Grayton Beach State Park, ultimately concluding at the finish line adjacent the pavilion. Needless to say courses don't come much prettier than this!
Parking Info:
Parking will be in the parking lots adjacent the pavilion.
Packet Pick-up:
Packet pick-up and on-site registration will begin at 6:45a on race day.
Race-day registration:
Race day registration will run from 6:45-7:45a on race day.
I’ll be providing regular updates on the Run Grayt Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/rungrayt - be sure to give us a “Like” and check back often. The Facebook page will serve as the primary means of communication for all race updates and information. Don't fret if you don't see many updates: that just means that everything is going smoothly!
The 5K will start at 8:00a RAIN OR SHINE! The Easter Egg Hunt, however, may be postponed or cancelled in the event of inclement weather.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at rungrayt.racedirector@gmail.com
It should be a fantastic morning and a great start to the Easter weekend!
100% of the proceeds collected from registration fees for the Grayt Easter 5K will be going to Communities of Transformation, a new program of Caring and Sharing of South Walton, to help under-resourced individuals and families in our area make the transition from merely surviving to thriving.
