After a few weeks of chilly South Carolina weather, complete with a snowstorm, many students are looking forward to spring and the opportunity to go outside and enjoy a good run. For students who want to go beyond running the Alumni Stadium track, the Greenville area will be hosting several races that may appeal to student runners this spring.
On April 2, the Greenville Zoo will host its 2016 Zoom through the Zoo 5K. Running from 8 to 10 a.m., participants are invited to take a leisurely run by giraffes, lemurs and exotic birds. Registration can be done online at greenvillezoofoundation.org with tickets costing $35.
After the race, runners can enjoy awards and family activities in the zoo and park.
Later on April 23, the 39th annual TD Bank Reedy River Run will take place on April 23. The race, which begins at 7:25 a.m., will take participants on a course through downtown Greenville, ending in Falls Park where runners will partake in refreshments, door prizes and awards. For the 5K route, online registration costs begin at $20 for the first 250 runners who register.
For students who don’t mind getting a little messy, April also holds the Color Vibe 5K and the Goodwill Mud Run. The Color Vibe 5K will take place on April 30 at the Charter Spectrum Amphitheatre in Simpsonville. As participants progress through the course, they will be showered with a variety of different colors in the form of paint and pigment. Registration costs $60 for individual runners and $55 for teams. The race will begin at 9 a.m.
The Goodwill Mud Run, also on April 30, will be located at the SC-TAC, formerly the Donaldson Center just 20 minutes south of Greenville. Teams of two and four runners are invited to take on a course filled with mud, water, and fun obstacles. Runners can register at goodwillmudrun.org. The event will also include a team costume and T-shirt contest with a grand prize of $150. The cost for participation is $100 for a two-person team and $140 for a four-person team. Participants may receive a 10 percent discount with online registration by using the discount code 2016BJUCollegian.