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Friday, March 29, 2024

Son Run revitalization easy as pie 

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Wrightsville United Methodist Church organizers have big plans to rejuvenate the annual Son Run 5k with a handful of changes, including the date. The race, held every April on the John Nesbitt Loop for the past 15 years, was moved to Oct. 18 this year.

The date of the race is not the only change. Tom Barber, one of the organizers, worked with his wife, Kathleen, and Cynthia Horgan to invigorate the 2014 race by also upping the prizes for participants.

“This is the 16th running of this race, so we think it’s well-enough known. Yes, we did change the date, but we’re hopeful this will be a start to reenergize the whole process,” Barber said. “Over the past few years, it dropped off a little bit in attendance. We wanted to jump start it and get it going again.”

Rocco Quaranto, 2013 Son Run winner, is helping organizers by providing a runner’s perspective on potential tweaks and changes. Quaranto knew Barber through work, so when Barber called him to get feedback on how to improve the race, Quaranto was on board. He said one of his main contributions was incorporating pies, once distributed as prizes at the race, back into the event.

Quaranto said the ritual in which winners share the pies is what made the Son Run stand out among a proliferation of local 5ks.

“Everyone gets a spoon or fork in their bag, so it’s one of those things everyone knows. You go to the Son Run, and the winner gets the pie but shares it. … There’s no huge, elaborate prize. It’s a pie and you share it, and that was always so great,” Quaranto said.

In addition to the pies donated by Apple Annie’s Bake Shop, organizers secured more than $1,000 in prizes for participants, including $100 cash for the overall female and male winners of the race.

Early registrations suggest efforts to reinvigorate the 2014 event have not gone unnoticed. Barber said about 100 people participated in the 2013 run, about the same number has registered two weeks before the 2014 run. He said race organizers hope for 200 participants, and they expect last-minute and same-day registrations to provide the boost they need.

Organizers expect to raise $10,000 from the race. All proceeds will be split evenly and donated to three charities that help children who suffer abuse or exploitation: Methodist Home for Children, A Safe Place and The Carousel Center.

Registration for the race opens at 7 a.m. Oct. 18 at Wrightsville Beach Park, with a Kids’ Fun Run at 8 a.m. before runners and walkers take to the loop at 8:30 a.m. The event concludes with a 9:30 a.m. awards celebration.

The cost to participate is $30.

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