The event will be held at 9 a.m. at the Stoneport Quarry, 11351 E. Grand Lake Road, Presque Isle.

Participants will head down into the quarry on a unique and challenging course.

“It’s a very unique event,” said Vicki McCoy, event organizer and Holcim chemical quality/environmental specialist. “We make a race route that goes right down into the quarry. They go down, they come back up. It’s pretty scenic, they get to see some of the quarry, but we also have some woods and nature area, too, that they go through.”

This year’s event is being held in honor of and in memory of all family members and friends who have had esophageal cancer.

Courtesy Photo Medals for first, second and third place in each age group will be given. The medals are made from limestone that comes out of the quarry.

“All the money goes to the cancer center directly,” McCoy said. “We have awesome, awesome sponsors, and with the participants we get, in the eight years that we’ve done it, already we have donated $280,000. We usually donate about $35,000 a year.”

The cost to participate is $25, and online registration ends at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 11. Proceeds go to the Alpena Cancer Center at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena. T-shirts will be available for an additional cost. If you are unable to attend the event in-person, you may participate in the virtual 5K, which means you sign up, run on your own and make a donation to the cause.

This would have been the 10th year of the race, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, no race was held in 2020.

“Since 2020, we now do both a virtual and an on-site race,” McCoy noted, adding that medals will be given out for both categories — in-person and virtual participants, for first, second and third places in a wide range of age groups.

“What’s also unique is the medals are actually made out of the limestone that we dig out of the quarry,” she added.

She said it is a timed 5K course, so runners can use it for training or competition.

“It is a regular 5K distance,” McCoy said. “We have a company come that does all the timing.”

For more information, contact Tim Cordes at 989-595-6101 or timothy.cordes@holcim.com. To sign up for the event online, visit runsignup.com/Race/MI/PresqueIsle/Stoneport5KQuarryRunWalk.

“The people really, really enjoy it, because of the uniqueness of the event,” McCoy added. “They’re actually going into the areas of the quarry where we normally are mining. This is an opportunity to go down into the quarry. The quarry is actually pretty cool, because it’s made up of different layers of material.”

Reach Lifestyles Editor Darby Hinkley at dhinkley@thealpenanews.com or 98-9-358-5691.?