Email Blast #4: Final important race updates

Hi everyone!

FIVE days to Race Day and we just added Nextier Bank to our list of generous sponsors, plus a $150 Carnegie Museums family membership to the Chinese Auction!

In addition to our Title Sponsors Eric Shick Insurance, The Goughler Family, Brackenridge American Legion, Creighton Printing and Grace's Wok, we want to appreciate some great sponsors supporting us through the years such as Penn State New Kensington, Health Pyramid Vitality and Longevity Center, Elevate Sport & Spine Center, Sarver True Value, JV Manufacturing, Creative Canvas, Aptech Computer Systems and Venture Outdoors. Thank you sponsors!

Housekeeping. Race Day Registration will be available for walkers and runners 8.00 - 9.45 am and you can save time on the day of by filling out the registration form available below. Shirts are available for walk-ins (runners) in limited quantities and sizes. If you pre-registered, head to the check-in counters to pick up your race packets (shirt, event program & goodies).

Parking and Directions. Parking is central, and right next to Yakaon Pavilion (see Activities At-a-Glance Map below - parking area is shaded gray). Yakaon Pavilion GPS coordinates 40.657120, -79.702943 . Entering the Park, keep left at the fork and take the first left, up the hill to Yakaon Pavilion and parking. When that parking fills up, park in the lower level at the turn off to Yakaon Pavilion.

Costume Contest Judges Table opens 8.30 am, so present your best costume before Race Start (10.00 am). Pick a category to compete in: Cutest, Funniest, Scariest, Owner-Pet, Couple/Group, give your entry a creative name and get judged! Judges Table closes 11.30 am, so you can also get judged after your run. 

Fitness Competition also opens 8.30 am. Walkers are encouraged to get your 4 minutes of pushups, pullups, situps and box jumps in before the Race Start. Runners, head over to the Fitness Station for your 4 minutes, as soon as possible after your run finish. Station closes at 12.00 pm, and the Plank Off takes place at the Awards Area 12.05 pm. Longest plank gets a special prize!

Vendors and FREE kids activities open 9.00 am, all the way through 1.00 pm. There will be free muscle treatments (Elevate Sport & Spine), Snackster Sam helping kids to find the best snacks (Health Pyramid Longevity & Vitality Center), free chair massages & health screenings (The Foundation for Wellness Professionals), kids music and movement sets (Songs for Young Whippersnappers) and much more! Full list of vendors HERE.

Chinese Auction and 50/50 Raffle tickets available 9.00 am thru 12.00 pm. Drawing for 50/50 is 12.00 pm (must be present to win) while the Chinese Auction drawing is at 12.20 pm (need not be present to win). We are thrilled to have so many wonderful prizes up for auction and while I'm sure the Birdsfoot Golf Club $250 package will be popular, I'm definitely bidding for the Carnegie Museums family membership myself! 

The Athlete's Tent by the Finish Line is sponsored by Allegheny Health Network Sports Performance and Frank Valasquez will be on hand to take care of all you athletes. Citizens Hose Station 167 "The Birdville Brothers" have an ambulance on standby as well - Thank You! Friendly park rangers can administer first aid at the water & aid station on the 5K route, and also the 10K route.

AWARDS for runners are presented 11.30 am - 11.50 am, starting from the youngest age groups up. With Smiley Miles doing chip timing for runners this year, the Awards ceremony will start on time for sure!

To wrap up this final email blast, we want to appreciate all of you for coming out to support our race. From three years ago when 30 runners toed the start line, we have more than doubled our numbers every year, and this year will see over 300 participants at the Start. The outpouring of support for this modest Scout fundraiser to carry out projects that improve the Park for all of us to use... has been tremendous. This speaks to us as race organizers. We are after all just volunteers ourselves. We love  this 'hidden gem'-of-a-park tucked away in the northern reaches of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh and see in your support, a shared desire to connect with Nature and to help preserve this natural area for our children.

This Halloween Trail Run & Walk is a family-friendly outdoor/nature event like no other, that we can bring to our community thanks to sponsors, volunteers and you! At the heart of it, it's still a trail walk. We hope that you will delight in the fresh air, cool crisp weather, and spectacular red-orange-yellow fall vistas at Harrison Hills Park this Saturday.

See you there!

Spectacular view from the top of Ridge Trail (photo by Douglas Bauman)