Seashore Striders double up with Community Rocks! 5K March 31, April Fools Run April 1

This Saturday and Sunday, March 31 and April 1, will mark a double race weekend. The Community Rocks! 5K run and 1-Mile walk will begin at 9 a.m., Saturday, March 31, from just behind Big Fish Restaurant on Route 1 with an out-and-back 5K course along Bay Vista Road to the Rehoboth Beach Country Club. Awards will go to the top three finishers in 10-year age groups, while T-shirts will be given to the first 120 runners and walkers to register for the event. It is a chance for the community to bond together and support a person in need, and that is why Mike Jennings will have plenty of supporters at the first annual fundraiser 5K event.

On Sunday, the 18th annual April Fools Day Run will begin at 10 a.m. from the fishing pier at Cape Henlopen State Park. The April Fools Day Run traces a beautiful three- to six-mile journey through the state park with plenty of unique surfaces to challenge runners throughout.

If you are looking for even splits, a personal record or mile markers, stay home and go for an uneventful run! If you are looking for a challenging course, a lot of fun and a great workout with people who have the same interests, we will see you on the starting line for the 10 a.m. start. Shoulder bags will be given, instead of the normal T-shirts, to the first 100 to register. This event will be the first trial event with the Seashore Striders’ new Chronotrack Chip Timing System that will be used at many Seashore Striders events in 2012. Visit www.seashorestriders.com for more race information.

Mud Run fun update
One hundred fifteen team members are registered for the Sunday, April 29 Quest Fitness Mud Run in male, female and coed divisions, and it will be closed at 300 team participants, so we are one-third of the way to selling out. This year’s race will also feature competitive male and female individual divisions with awards to the top three in each age category as well as a mini-mudder 12 & under division, in which we already have a dozen brave youngsters entered. The distance of the event is approximately 3.49 miles with plenty of challenges to keep participants awake throughout the fun course. Start looking for the old running shoes now, a pair that you may not need to take home!

Seashore Classic Half Marathon scheduled for April 15
The third annual Seashore Classic, a half-marathon event, a 5K run and a relay division, will be held at 8 a.m. Sunday, April 15, starting and finishing at Irish Eyes in Lewes. The course will travel toward Cape Henlopen State Park and loop the park before returning to Lewes and the Irish Eyes location. Preregistration packet pickup will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., Saturday, April 14, at Irish Eyes. This week, I was asked by a few runners who have never completed a half what the magic long run distance was in order to be able to complete the event. For a half marathon distance of 13.1 miles, I think the distance you want to be able to complete is 10 miles in order to get through it. Some like to train over the racing distance, but many runners use the rule of thumb of 10 miles minimum in the half and 20 miles minimum in a marathon as a long run distance. Proceeds for this event will benefit a local teacher battling colon cancer. For more information, visit www.seashorestriders.com.

Upcoming April races
• 10 a.m., Sunday, April 1 - 18th April Fools Day Run, Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes.
• 8 a.m., Saturday, April 7 - 1st BunnyPalooza 5K/10K Run, Bethany Beach.
• 8 a.m., Sunday, April 15 - 3rd Seashore Classic Half Marathon, 5K and Relay, Irish Eyes, Lewes.
• 8 a.m., Saturday, April 28 - 12th Oxford Day 10K Run, Oxford, Md.
• 9 a.m., Sunday, April 29 - 2nd Quest Fitness Mud Run, The Farm, Milton.