Breaking personal records is encouraged, but try not to break any limbs.

The Fourth Annual Break A Leg 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, May 4, kicks off the Dork Brothers Racing Team’s 2019 season. Presented by the Dork Brothers and Thunder Bay Theatre, the family-friendly fitness feat features much more than just a timed, official 5K (3.1 mile) course.

This fundraiser for Thunder Bay Theatre features a raffle drawing for a pair of tickets to either a Detroit Tigers vs. Philadelphia Phillies game (value: $125) or excellent seats to “Hamilton” (value: $330) at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts in East Lansing. Every registration or T-shirt purchase gets a raffle ticket, and additional raffle tickets are available. Both pairs of tickets were generously donated by community members.

“The Dork Brothers are super supportive of us and great sponsors in this event,” said Jeffrey Mindock, producing artistic director for Thunder Bay Theatre.

In dramatic TBT fashion, there is a whimsical aspect to this race: costumes are recommended (but not required).

“We’re really excited because last year we started doing these races and theming them with our first musical of the summer,” Mindock said. “So last year we did ‘All Shook Up’ and it was Elvis-themed, so we had all of our Elvis costumes running around the river. This year, it’s ‘Into The Woods,’ so we’re expecting everyone to come out in their fairy tale costumes.”

He encourages participants to use their imaginations with their costumes, hoping to see princes, princesses, werewolves, fairies, woodland creatures and more. There will be a costume contest with a prize for the best dressed.

Dogs are welcome, too, with or without costumes, as they can generally pass for woodland creatures. Make sure your woodland creature is on a leash, however.

The course will run beside and across Thunder Bay River along the Maritime Heritage Route, which Mindock said is a lovely, scenic route.

Awards will be given for male and female overall and age group winners, and official times will be recorded as with all of the well-organized and professional Dork Brothers races.

Early registrants get a discount. Registration before April 27 is only $10 per adult and $5 per student. After April 27, it goes up to $15 per adult and $10 per student. Race T-shirts are available for an additional $15 per person, with all proceeds to TBT.

Race-day registration begins at 8 a.m. at Thunder Bay Theatre, located at 400 N. Second Ave., and the race begins at 9 a.m.

To register, go to www.thunderbaytheatre.com and go to the Break A Lag tab under special events, come into the theater, or call 989-354-2267 to pay by credit card over the phone.

“When we do events like this we want to engage folks that are maybe unfamiliar with the theater and they just want to run a 5K, or folks that are consistent patrons but want to be engaged in other ways,” Mindock said.

He noted events such as this are a wonderful way for many different types of people in the community to get together for a common cause and enjoy fellowship and fun. TBT has been doing more community events recently, including the Let’s Talk panels at Art in the Loft, Kids Cabaret held at Downtown Scoops, as well as the Board Game Nights, with the next one from 6 to 8 p.m. April 27 at the theater.

“We’re attempting to become a community center that happens to be where theater is made,” Mindock explained.

He added that the Break A Leg 5K is the kind of event where everyone is welcome to come together to exercise and exchange ideas.

“We spend so much time, I think, in this community, talking about how we support one another, and talking about how we want the community to continue to grow and evolve, and we don’t do enough of these events where we come together for fellowship, and we come together for celebration, and that’s really what this is.”

Mindock doesn’t run but admires those who do, and added that he is “an excellent cheerleader at the finish line.”