August is underway and with that the Anamosa Pumpkinfest 5K is our hot topic. This year’s 35th Annual Anamosa Pumpkinfest and Ryan Norlin GIANT Pumpkin Weigh-off will be held Saturday, October 7th. Along with a 5K, there will be a Main Street festival which includes pumpkin carving displays, a pumpkin roll race, a pumpkin throwing contest, food, arts and crafts vendors, a car show, parade and, of course, giant pumpkins, watermelons and other gourds. This year’s theme will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Anamosa being declared “Iowa’s Official Pumpkin Capital” by the Iowa Legislature. “BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, That the General Assembly designate the City of Anamosa, Iowa, as the official Pumpkin Capital of Iowa.” – Senate of Iowa General Assembly Resolution No. 8 (February 1993)
The Running Raider Marathon Club and the Anamosa Chamber of Commerce would like to personally invite all of you back to this year’s Pumpkinfest 5K. This event has become one of the area’s largest town festival 5K’s and we are excited to launch it again as it kicks off all festivities on October 7th at 9:00 AM.
The run/walk is headed back out on the Wapsipinicon Trail. We continue to receive the same overwhelming feedback about how much participants love running through the heart of Anamosa Main Street with vendors and spectators on both sides of the street cheering. The race will begin at the Jones County Courthouse square again this year, which is on the west end of Main Street. We will run east through Main Street, turn right on Scott Street (Wayne Hall Dealership), continue down to the Wapsipinicon Trail, out to the turnaround point and come back the same way. The Wapsipinicon Trail is completed and we are excited to send you out on it. Some people train for this run and others bring their entire families to walk and enjoy the scenery. We love to see all participants!
We will once again be using bib chip timing through B&W Racing. Your timing chip will be on your race bib. The disposable bib does not need to be returned. This wonderful feature will allow you to get your bib in your early packet pickup and go straight to the start line. No need in getting to the race early to get your shoe chip and no need to make sure your shoe chip gets returned. This will give you an extra hour in the morning to visit Anamosa and explore Pumpkinfest. You will also be receiving a text message with your time as you cross the finish line, so be sure to register with your cell phone number.
The Pumpkinfest 5K design team is busy designing the long sleeve t-shirt and it will once again be worth the price in registration alone! Stay tuned for the design, we will forward it to you all when it is completed. Be sure to register by September 24th to guarantee you receive the long sleeve t-shirt. Register today while the price is low. You can register at getmeregistered.com with this link: https://secure.getmeregistered.com/get_information.php?event_id=MTY4NDg3NDM0Njk2NTYCkkp3KEGRo9gD or print off the registration form below and mail or drop it off at Citizens Bank in Anamosa.
Link to paper registration form
Get signed up now! We can’t wait to see you at the start line!