10K Ruck Run, 5K fun run/walk move back to Oak Mountain State Park

The 10K Ruck Run and 5K fun run/walk that has been held at Veterans Park in Hoover in recent years is moving to Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham and gaining a new beneficiary.

In the past, the event has been a fundraiser for the National Veterans Day Foundation, but this year it will benefit a group called Alabama Veteran that works to help veterans stay engaged in society and reach their full potential.

The event — now the Ruck to Remember — is scheduled for Oct. 20 near the south trailhead in Oak Mountain State Park, off Terrace Drive.

Runners in the 10K wear rucks, which are weighted backpacks or vests (40 pounds for men and 20-25 pounds for women), as an added challenge on the 6.2-mile course.

Individuals can participate, but organizers encourage runners to form teams of four to eight people. Team times are determined by the average time of all team participants.

There also is a 5K fun run/walk that does not require the vests or backpacks. In the 5K, the first three men, first three women and first three youths under age 13 to complete the race will be recognized.

This year, the 5K will be on the road only, but the 10K race will be on both road and trails, said Paul Cheek, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and captain of the Birmingham chapter of Team Red, White and Blue, a veterans group that seeks to enrich the lives of American veterans through fitness and social activities.

The cost to participate in either race is a $15 donation. Runners and walkers can register by visiting the Facebook pages of Alabama Veteran or Team RWB Birmingham. Participants will receive a T-shirt, Cheek said.

On-site registration on race day starts at 7 a.m. The 5K should start at 8 a.m., followed by the 10K ruck race, Cheek said. There will be yoga before the race. Veterans’ groups that want to have free booth space at the event can contact Cheek at paul.cheek@teamrwb.org.