14,000 Participants Have Signed Up to Take Part in the Event; A Limited Number of Entries Will be Made Available through Ukrop's Promotion
The fifth annual Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K presented by POWERade closed registration at 11 p.m. last night after reaching its limit of 14,000 participants. The limit, which earlier this month was raised from 12,500 due to overwhelming demand, was imposed to help manage the dramatic increase in participants seen since this event began in 2000. In just five years this race has grown to be one of the largest 10K events in the country and was recognized last year by USA Track & Field as the fastest-growing race in the country of any distance.

This is the second consecutive year that the event has reached capacity and registration has closed more than five weeks prior to the event. In 2003, the event accepted 8,500 entries, the first time a limit had been placed on the size of the field. It took just eight weeks since registration opened on December 26 to reach the 14,000-person capacity.

Anyone who missed registering for the event still has one opportunity to sign up. A limited number of entries will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Ukrop's Crossridge location (Staples Mill Road east of I-295) on Saturday, February 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. The cost to register will be $30.

Registration for the First Market Mile Kids Run presented by Minute Maid, which allows kids 6-12 years of age to compete in a first class running event, remains open. The First Market Mile Kids Run is limited to 1,000 entries and is currently at about eighty percent of capacity. The registration fee is $20 ($17 if signing up online at www.sportsbackers.org) and will remain open until March 12 or when the event reaches capacity, whichever comes first.

The Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K is the largest running race in Richmond. The Richmond Sports Backers organize the event with the help of the Richmond Road Runners Club and more than 750 volunteers.

"The large number of entries is the direct result of the success of last year's event, which included a sold-out field, 30 different musical groups, a dozen cheering squads, thousands of spectators, an interactive festival in Monroe Park, and the full support of Ukrop's. The people who participated last year are coming back and are bringing friends and family," said race director Tracey Russell.

Last year's race raised more than $75,000 for the Association for the Support of Children with Cancer (ASK), the event's official beneficiary.