Registration opens for Runway 5K, 10K races at Naples Airport
The Floridant/10346037

NAPLES, Fla. - Floridant -- Runners and aviation enthusiasts again will have an opportunity to race the runway at Naples Airport for a one-of-a-kind event that supports scholarships for local runners and future aviators.

The Naples Airport Authority is partnering with Gulf Coast Runners to host the fourth annual Runway 5K and 10K race on Nov. 7.

Participants in the professional chip-timed event will race around private jets, vintage aircraft, small planes and emergency vehicles positioned along Runway 32 and the taxiway, tarmac and perimeter road. Runners of all skill levels, as well as walkers, can choose between a 5K or 10K course. All finishers will receive a specially designed race T-shirt, custom medal and finish-line video; Gulf Coast Runners will present awards to top finishers in all categories.

"The Runway 5K and 10K starts right as the sun rises over the horizon, revealing a racecourse lined with aircraft representing multiple generations of aviation history," said Chris Rozansky, executive director of the Naples Airport Authority. "Being able to walk or run on an airport runway is one of those experiences that participants will remember forever. That's why we see familiar faces returning year after year."

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The race has been approved by the FAA and permitted by the Naples City Council. Due to FAA regulations and airport logistics, dogs and strollers are not permitted. Spectators also are not allowed.

The Runway 5K and 10K begins at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. Participants are asked to park at the North Road Terminal, 500 Terminal Drive in Naples.

To register for the race, please visit RunSignup.com/NaplesRunway5K. Early bird registration runs through Oct. 23 and is $40 for the 5K race or $50 for the 10K event. Registration fees increase to $45 and $55, respectively, until Nov. 6 and rise to $50 and $60 on race day. Registration is limited to 600 participants and all runners must complete the course within 90 minutes.

Race proceeds are split between Gulf Coast Runners, a nonprofit that provides teen runners with college and trade-school scholarships, and the local Experimental Aircraft Association, a nonprofit that offers scholarships to aspiring pilots, aircraft mechanics and engineers.