The 17th annual Keep L.A. Running Charity 5K Run/Walk, 10K Run, Kids Dash and Coastal Bike Cruise will be held Sunday at Dockweiler Beach in Playa Del Rey. More than 2000 runners, walkers and bike riders are expected to participate while helping raise money for children with cancer, and emergency relief for residents and workers in LA County.
Former track star Zola Pieterse (nee Budd) will be the honorary spokesperson, compete in the 5K race and serve as starter of the 10K event.
Melanie Brown, better known as Mel B or “Scary Spice” from the Spice Girls, will be honorary host of the event. Mel B, a fitness “advocate,” competed as a celebrity dancer and finished second with her partner on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Louie Zamperini, a former Torrance High and USC star who make the finals of the 5000-meters at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, will be honorary starter of the 10K. Zamperini’s life story (athletic star, World War II hero), has been the subject of a TV movie and an upcoming theatrical release about his life is in the works.
The entire family can participate in the 7:30 a.m. 10/20-mile coastal bike cruise, which winds south from the start on the bike paths along the ocean. The 5K Run/Walk will begin at 8 a.m., with the 10K at 8:30 a.m. Kids can run in the Kids Dash, which will begin at 9:45 a.m. Go to www.keeplarunning.com or call 310-821-7898 for race information or event registration.
Over the years Keep L.A. Running has raised over $1,000,000 for its beneficiary charities. The event is organized by SEIU Local 660 Emergency Relief Fund, a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization, and also benefits the Pediatric Oncology Service, Women’s and Children’s Hospital of LAC + USC Medical Center. ER
