A 5K run has been added to this year's 300 Oaks Road Race, and the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce has put together a free training program to get folks ready.
The "Couch to 5K" program will be run by professional trainers from Greenwood's Advanced Fitness. It will start July 12 twice a week for 10 weeks leading up to the 300 Oaks on Sept. 18.
"The 5K run is new this year. We had a lot of people ask about adding it because they like to run and the 5K is a little more manageable than the 10K for most folks," said Beth Stevens, executive director of the Chamber.
"The Couch to 5K program is a great way to get people ready for the race and boost community fitness along the way."
A kickoff meeting for those interested in the training program will take place on July 6 and July 7 at 6 p.m. at the Chamber.
People are asked to call the Chamber in advance (453-4152) of those meetings.
"We've already had a great response, and we are hoping to get a lot more this week," Stevens said. "It's free and open to anybody, so there is no reason not to take advantage of this great opportunity to help your health and fitness."
The training sessions will be held each Monday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at North Greenwood Baptist Church. There will be two different sessions, one for the 5K run and one for the 5K walk.
n Contact Bill Burrus at bburrus@gwcommonwealth.ccom.
