The eighth annual Kimmswick ALS 5K and One-Mile Walk and Fun Run will be held Saturday (Aug. 18). People with ALS, family members, friends, caregivers, and others affected by Lou Gehrig’s disease are invited to participate in the event, which is presented by The Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery.
Participants will run through historic Kimmswick and along the Mississippi River, the Anheuser Estate and the Windsor Harbor Bridge. The Blue Owl’s Levee High Apple Pies will be awarded to the top overall male and female finishers, and fresh fruit pies will be awarded to the top three in each age group.
The 5k will begin at 8 a.m., and the One-Mile Walk and Fun Run will begin at 8:45 a.m. After the race, there will be refreshments, face painting, balloon animals, music and shopping in Kimmswick. Proceeds will benefit the ALS Association – St. Louis Regional Chapter.
Registration is $35. To register in advance, go to 5kimmswick.org. On the day of the race, registration will begin about 6:30 a.m. at the Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery. Participants in the 5K will receive a “tech shirt,” and those in the 1-mile run/walk will get a cotton T-shirt. All runners and walkers will get a box lunch and complimentary beverages and snacks.
The St. Louis Cardinals mascot Fredbird will make an appearance. In addition, vendors will provide services and sell food and merchandise. Fleet Feet will provide timing for the race and is handling registration.
This event was begun by the Gregg and Nancy Ratliff family in 2010. Nancy, a former daycare teacher who was diagnosed with ALS in 2009, lost her battle with the disease in 2016.