PJ Parkinson’s Foundation, Mind Yer Ps and Qs team up for 5K Run,1K Walk Oct. 2 Town
PJ Parkinson’s Foundation is giving area runners a chance to do what they love most when it presents the P.J. Parkinson’s 5K Run and Walk Sunday, Oct. 2, as part of Mind Yer Ps and Qs 2nd Annual Octoberfest at Renaissance | Farragut.
“I think we’re going to have a great turnout,” said Drew Degges, race director and PJ Parkinson’s Foundation board of directors member. “We’ve got about 140 people signed up right now, and we’re hoping to see those numbers grow in the next couple weeks as we near the race.”
Octoberfest will be taking place from 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday, Sept. 30; from 10 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, Oct. 1; and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 2, at Mind Yer Ps and Qs, 2744 Kingston Pike in Renaissance | Farragut.
“We’re partnering with Octoberfest,” Degges said. “The Foundation is the primary beneficiary of (the event).”
The 5K run and 1K walk will both kick off at 2 p.m., Degges said.
“The race will leave the Renaissance and travel up through the Old Stage Hills neighborhood, go down McFee Road, wind back through the greenway behind Wentworth subdivision, back through Old Stage Hills to finish at the Renaissance,” he said. “Race recipients will receive awesome goody bags with T-shirt, lots of giveaways and a limited-edition Gatorade bottle.”
Degges anticipates the race will last between an hour and an hour-and-15 minutes (read related story staring on page 6A).
“There are no major road closures,” he added. “We’ve coordinated with the Town of Farragut and other authorities to get a route that is not only nice but doesn’t affect the flow of traffic.
“You can sign up for the event up until the day of. We will be taking registration at Octoberfest.”
Packet pickup will also be held Friday and Saturday at Octoberfest.
The cost to sign up in advance online is $35 while the cost the day of the race is $40.
To register online, visit www.runsignup.com and look up PJ Parkinson’s 5K or visit www.pjparkinsons.org.
“Being that we’re partnered with Octoberfest — while the race is on Sunday, (the festival) will be a three-day event starting Friday, Sept. 30, through Oct. 2 — attendees can come early to the race; they can stay late.
“It will be a true celebration this year,” Degges said about Octoberfest. “There will be lots of German beer and food, a kid’s play area, live music and a health exhibition.
“A lot of Parkinson’s support groups will be coming together in support of this one event focused on Parkinson’s awareness,” he said. “We will be united for the cause, and the goal of the fifth annual walk and run is to better understand the progressive nervous system disorder and to bring family, friends and those affected by the disease together and connected with an environment full off support.”
Originally held in South Knoxville, “we were growing so we decided it was time to transition to the Farragut area,” Degges said.
