Serious runners, casual competitors, stroller-pushing parents, and avid walkers should mark their calendars for the Wilmot Community Association’s (WCA) ninth annual Black Fly Blitz 5K starting at 9 AM – an hour earlier than previous years – on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, in Wilmot Flat.
Runners who want a free Black Fly Blitz T-shirt must register no later than May 1.
Online registration, which closes at noon Saturday, May 25, is available at wilmotcommunityassociation.org.
Until May 25, race registration is free for children eight years and younger; $15 for youths 9 to 17 and adults 65 and older; and $25 for adults 18 to 64.
On race day, registration for adults 18 and older will increase by $5.
Day-of registration opens at 7 AM, May 27, under the registration tent on the Town Green at the intersection of Kearsarge Valley and Village Roads in Wilmot Flat.
“For the second consecutive year, coaches and members of the Kearsarge Regional High School track and cross country teams will be assisting the WCA on race day,” said Ann Davis, President of the WCA Board.
Acknowledging the value of the volunteers’ time, the teams will receive a portion of the race proceeds.
“We are delighted to be able to assist with this event,” said Peter Angus, coach at KRHS. “This collaboration is a win-win for our teams and the WCA.”
The 3.1-mile, 5K, scenic course is a clockwise loop that starts on Village Road and continues on Shindagan Road to Cross Hill Road to Campground Road and then to Village Road. It is a relatively flat course over slightly undulating terrain. Water will be available at the mid-point of the race. Runners will receive beverages, fruit, and bagels after the race.
Awards will be presented at 10:30 AM at the Wilmot Bandstand on the Town Green next to the Wilmot Town Office Building at 9 Kearsarge Valley Road.
The Cloud Duo will play classic rock and country music. Activities for children will include face painting and games. Non-runners may purchase food at the event.
The Black Fly Blitz is the WCA’s largest fund-raising event of the year. Proceeds support the organization’s operations and activities. Events organized by the WCA for its Golden Jubilee include summer puppet and mask-making workshops and a pie breakfast on July 13; a dramatization of Old Turtle and the Broken Truth on August 24; Harvest Home Luncheon on September 28; Halloween trick or treating; the Annual Holiday Craft Fair on December 7, and the Wilmot Express on December 8.
The WCA owns and operates the Red Barn on Village Road and the Timmy Patten Park on Shindagan Road.
More information is available from Patty McGoldrick, WCA Executive Director, at 526-7934 or at wca@nulltds.com.