MONROEVILLE, Alabama • May 4, 2023 – Monroeville Main Street (MMS) “Book It” 5K Race on May 13, 2023. Monroeville Main Street has had the downtown Monroeville 5K course recertified in order to aid local organizations with planning and implementing successful 5K events. In celebration of the 5K course recertification, MMS is launching a race with a nod to the location of the course in the literary capital of Alabama, while raising funds to support Monroeville Main Street projects.
(Pictured) A map of the downtown Monroeville, Alabama 5K course, recertified in the spring of 2023 by Monroeville Main Street to aid local organizations with planning and implementing successful 5K events such as the inaugural MMS "Book It" 5K race to raise funds for Monroeville Main Street projects.
MMS will present unique awards that reflect the specific culture and heritage of Monroeville, Alabama to the “Book-It” participants who complete the course in the fastest times. According to MMS Executive Director Anne Marie Bryan, the 5K event will offer special fun for those who wish to participate in the optional Literary Character Costume Contest for prizes to the contestants wearing the best costumes, with extra points allotted to entrants whose character costumes are from literature by Monroe County or Alabama authors.
Racers, ages 8 years and older, may submit the $35 fee payment, for the race registration and a “Book-It” tee-shirt, in cash, by check, or via the MMS website for which additional charges will apply. MMS will issue tee shirts at the 5K check-in to contestants who enroll during early registration, available until May 3, 2023. Racers who are not able to enroll in “Book-It” until the late registration period, May 5th until May 13th, will receive their race tee shirts after May 25th.
Racers may check in to the 5K event at 7:30 A.M. on the lawn of the Monroe County Museum on the morning of the contest, with an 8:00 A.M. race start time. A 5K event application and waiver are accessible online on the monroevillemainstreet.com events page.
The recertified Monroeville 5K course begins on Mount Pleasant Avenue near Beck Street; continues on Johnson Avenue, Lloyd Street, and Perry Avenue; follows Bigger Street, Claiborne Avenue, Alabama Avenue, and Pineville Avenue; and concludes along Lazenby Street, Leslie Street, and Mount Pleasant Avenue. MMS Executive Director explained that in order for the performance of a racer to be accepted as a record or to be nationally ranked, that performance must occur on a certified course. In addition to this, she pointed out that most runners compare performances on different courses which is only a fair comparison if each course is certified by being properly measured.
Bryan stated that Monroeville organizations are welcome to plan their own 5K events on the recertified course in correlation with an MMS “Second Saturday On-the-Square,” each of which is set for April through October, on the Museum lawn, from 9:00 A.M. until 12 Noon.
