Projo Sports Blog

Providence - The CVS Caremark Downtown 5K Officials today announced the details for the 2007 race, which will be held Sunday, September 16th at 11:15 AM. The race will start and finish on Francis Street in front of the State House in downtown Providence. Individual and team advance race registration, course map, and complete event information are available on line at www.cvsdowntown5k.com.

New for 2007, race headquarters will move from Station Park to the Renaissance Providence Hotel, located at 5 Avenue of the Arts, next to the Rhode Island State House. The recently restored Renaissance Providence Hotel will also host the 2007 CVS Caremark Downtown 5K Race Expo on Saturday, September 15th and Sunday, September 16th. Race participants can register for the race and pick up their race numbers at the Expo. They will also receive a gift bag when they sign up to participate.

2007 is the eighth consecutive year that CVS Caremark is sponsoring the Downtown 5K. Last year, more than 7,000 participants registered for the various races, and the event raised more than $125,000 for local schools and non-profit agencies. In the last 7 years, the CVS Caremark Downtown 5K has raised more than $750,000 for local charities.

“The CVS Caremark Downtown 5K gives us the opportunity to support many local schools and charities in the Rhode Island community. We are proud to be the title sponsor of largest road race in Rhode Island and we are especially pleased that the Downtown 5K has become a fun event for the entire family,” said Eileen Howard Dunn, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Community Relations at CVS Caremark.

Youth Races for children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade will start at 8:00 a.m. The High School Inspirational 3K Race kicks-off at 12:15 p.m. Schools with 25 or more registered runners in either the Youth Races or the 3K will be entered into ten random drawings to win a $500 grant for their school’s physical education program.

The CVS All Kids Can Inspirational Event will be returning again this year to the Downtown 5K. Building on the success of last year’s inspirational event, children of all ages and abilities are invited to participate in the race.

The CVS Caremark College Challenge, a new team category, has been created to encourage college students to sign up and run as a team. The College Challenge will award prizes to the fastest team, the largest team and to the top 100 finishers.

“The CVS Caremark Downtown 5K has bands that are actually playing alongside the race course as well as a post-race concert. It’s a fun and exciting event for students who want to come out to show school spirit while they also help to raise money for important local charities,” said Charlie Breagy, Race Director of the CVS Caremark Downtown 5K.

Top U.S. Women Enter CVS Caremark Downtown 5K

This year’s CVS Caremark Downtown 5K has attracted a competitive field of elite runners from around the world. Notable runners include Richard Kiplagat, 2006 Downtown 5K Champion, and Simon Ndirangu, Champion of the prestigious 2007 Carlsbad 5K. The women’s field includes two of the top American runners; Michelle Sikes, the 2007 NCAA 5K Champion; and Shalane Flanagan, the present U.S. 5K record holder.

The awards for the 2007 CVS Caremark Downtown 5K are as follows:

Open Men/Women: 1st-$3,000; 2nd-$2,000; 3rd-$1,000

USA T&F Men's & Women’s Championships: 1st-$5,000; 2nd-$3,000; 3rd-$2,000; 4th-$1,500; 5th-$1,000; 6th-$900; 7th-$700; 8th-$500; 9th-$300; 10th-$100

USA T&F Men's & Women’s Team Championships: 1st-$750; 2nd-$500; 3rd-$250

Master Men/Women (age 40-49): 1st-$500; 2nd-$250; 3rd-$150

Senior Men/Women (age 50-59): 1st–$150; 2nd–$100; 3rd–$50

Veteran Men/Women (age 60-69): 1st–$150; 2nd–$100; 3rd–$50

Men/Women (age 70+): 1st-$150; 2nd-$100; 3rd-$50

Wheelchair: 1st–$150; 2nd-$100; 3rd-$50

Corporate Teams Awards: Made to the top 5 teams in the Open Divisions and top 3 teams in Masters Divisions.

Youth Races: Medals for all finishers in youth races; Trophies to Top 5 in each youth race (boys/girls)

---