The annual Brewery to Bathroom .5K race will return this Sunday to again challenge local athletes with a grueling walk from Kenai River Brewing to the Soldotna Creek Park bathrooms in a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
Along the way, which organizer Alana Martin says clocks at around three tenths of a mile, athletes will be able to rehydrate at a booth run by the Kenai Watershed Forum and refuel at a doughnut stand run by the Kenai Lions. At the halfway point, there will be a toilet seat selfie station as well.
“We’re looking forward to it,” she said.
Martin said that this year’s event will feature some thematic updates to correlate to the ongoing Paris Olympics but will be the familiar event that people look forward to. As ever, the event is a celebration of inactivity, while still emulating the excitement and cause of the larger Relay for Life.
This year there wasn’t a Relay for Life held locally, Martin said, so the smaller fundraisers like Brewery to Bathroom or the Starlight Starbright Winter Solstice Race are more important than ever.
Brewery to Bathroom started several years ago when fundraising at the Relay for Life fell just shy of the year’s goal. Organizers were brainstorming when the idea of a no-run race came up. Martin said the idea resonated because in a family of athletes she fills the important role of carrying the bags.
Now, the race is “bigger and better every year,” gathering a “.5K family” to together walk the trail, take a breather on the couch, eat doughnuts and raise money for cancer research.
All the money raised goes to the American Cancer Society, which spends funds on cancer research and also provide support and assistance to cancer patients.
“It’s a fun event,” Martin said. “With a serious cause behind it.”
Awards are given for the people who best embody the .5K spirit, which Martin says has included everyone from a group adorned in snuggies to a gathering of “Dino Divas.” The award is handcrafted each year by Wendell Dutcher.
The race starts on Sunday, Aug. 11, at 11 a.m., with time for same-day registration at Kenai River Brewing starting at 10:30 a.m. Online registration ahead of the event is $5 off and can be completed at active.com. Registration on the day of the race is $25 for individuals or $55 for families. There’s also a $30 Couch2Couch option where athletes can stay home while still supporting the cause and getting race swag.
For more information, find “2024 Brewery to Bathroom .5k ‘The Race for the Rest of Us’” or “American Cancer Society Events – Kenai Peninsula” on Facebook.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
