Pre-Race Online Registration Still Open for Spring Training Classic 10K March 6 at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla.

Marlins pitcher Chris Volstad to cheer kids on at Cops ’n Kids Fun Run March 5; Online registration extended to Saturday morning

JUPITER, Fla. (February 21, 2011) – Florida Marlins pitcher Chris Volstad will be the featured guest at the Spring Training Classic 10K’s kids race on Saturday, March 5, race organizers announced Monday.

Volstad, a right-handed mainstay in the Marlins starting rotation, will cheer kids on and sign autographs at the Cops ‘n Kids Fun Run during pre-race day festivities at Roger Dean Stadium. The Spring Training Classic 10K, which ends at home plate, is set for Sunday, March 6.

A 2005 graduate of Palm Beach Gardens High School, Volstad is a former first-round pick by the Marlins who won 12 games in 2010.
“It’s great to have Chris Volstad take part in our kid’s event,” said Race Director Dave McGillivray of DMSE Sports. “He’s from the area, so it will be a homecoming of sorts for him and really exciting for the kids to get up close to a major leaguer who will be cheering them on.”

Pre-race online registration at www.springtraining10k.com closes on Saturday, March 5. Runners may still register at the Health Expo/kid’s race on Saturday and on race day at Roger Dean Stadium, but the entry fee goes up $5 – from $30 to $35. The kids race requires no online registration.

Runners who register online for the 10k can also purchase reduced-price tickets to the spring training game between the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals later on race day at $10 per ticket, while supplies last.

This is the second year for the race, which begins and ends at Roger Dean Stadium, spring training home of the Marlins and Cardinals. The 6.2-mile race begins March 6 at 7:30 a.m. with runners starting adjacent to the stadium and winding through the streets of seven different Abacoa neighborhoods before returning for a victory lap around the outfield and ending at home plate.

A course map and description of the route, plus a link to online registration, can be found on the race’s website at www.springtraining10k.com.
On Saturday, March 5, the Cops ‘n Kids Fun Run, featuring Volstad, will begin at 5 p.m. at the stadium, with the run starting at 5:30 p.m. In addition, 10K runner packet pick up and a Health Expo will take place from 4-8 p.m. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Cardinals/Marlins Fund and the DMSE Children’s Fitness Foundation.

Sponsors of the Spring Training 10K, which was held for the first time last spring, include the Florida Marlins, the St. Louis Cardinals, Roger Dean Stadium, DMSE Sports, Inc. (www.dmsesports.com) and GoRun.org (www.gorun.org).

Race Director Dave McGillivray, who also directs the BAA Boston Marathon, TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine and a number of other popular road race events around the country, is considered among the best in his industry.

The Cardinals/Marlins Fund supports the development of programs for disadvantaged youth in South Florida. In affiliation with Community Foundations of Palm Beach and Martin counties, the Cardinals/Marlins Fund has contributed more than $173,000 to area youth groups since its inception in 1988, including Boynton Beach Police Athletic League, Children's Golf Foundation, Junior Achievement, Jupiter/Tequesta Athletic Association, Palm Beach Police Athletic League and Urban Youth Impact. The Cardinals/ Marlins Fund will be hosting a silent auction during the game in the concourse. For more information, visit RogerDeanStadium.com/community/fund.

The race will also benefit a new program for public school students provided by the DMSE Children’s Fitness Foundation, founded in 2003 by Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray. Running in Places (RIP) combines the benefits of physical activity with visits to educational destinations such as college campuses, museums, sports facilities and national parks. The DMSE Foundation covers the costs of student transportation, lunch and admission fees for all RIP events. For more information on RIP, contact the DMSE Foundation at 978-689-0957 or visit online at www.dmsefoundation.org.

Founded by McGillivray in 1981, DMSE Sports, Inc. is a leader in sports event management, specializing in creating, marketing and producing mass participatory athletic events throughout the U.S. and abroad. McGillivray has produced or consulted on more than 900 mass-participatory athletic events throughout the world, including 23 Boston Marathons; the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine; the 2004 and 2008 USA Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials, the 1990 Triathlon World Championship, the 1998 Goodwill Games Triathlon, and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. For more info, visit www.dmsesports.com.

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