The Freeport Rotary will host its annual Close to the Coast 5K and 10K road races on Saturday, June 18. The popular and venerable event, entering its 21st year, will take place at Winslow Park in Freeport as part of the Park’s Family Fun Day.

Festivities begin at 9 a.m. with the race itself; a 1K Fun Run for kids will follow at 10. There’ll also be a bounce house and face-painting to keep the young ones happy, while Gritty’s will be on hand to distribute beverages for the adults in the crowd. Bucks’ Naked BBQ will serve up free food for refueling, and two bands, Girls Just Want to Have Fun and The Mighty Mystics, will provide live music. Ocean-side camping is available for a fee for anyone who wants to stay over night.

Naturally, the race’s top finishers earn prizes. In fact, the Freeport Rotary prides itself on the uniqueness of its prizes: The fastest two athletes in each age category earn a pie from Valley View Farm in Hebrong, Maine. Each year, the club awards more than 80 pies.

In 2015, 400 runners took part in the Race; race director Jimmy Hendricks hopes to better that tally this year. 

All proceeds from the race benefit scholarships through the Freeport Rotary; each year, the event raises roughly $6,000 dollars for the club’s scholarship fund, and over the past 21 years, the club has bestowed more than $200,000 on students heading off to college.

Interested parties can register online at www.close2coastrace.com or on the morning of the race between 7:15 and 8:45. Hendricks can be reached for more information at drjah@fihc.comcastbiz.net; the Freeport Rotary is online at www.freeport-rotary.org.

Close to the Coast road racers start off at Winslow Park in Freeport. This year’s annual 5K and 10K, along with other events, will be held June 18.

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