The Rho Phi Lambda Honors Society, the Student Association for Recreation Club and Therapeutic Recreation Club will be hosting the 16th annual Eastern Illinois University 2.5k Homecoming Race at 9 a.m. Saturday at Seventh Street and Lincoln Avenue.

The race will kick off just before the Homecoming parade and will consist of a mix of students, alumni and community members.

The entry fee is $10 and registration will close at 8:45 a.m. the day of the race.

Participants can run or walk and will have the opportunity to dress in a costume and compete for prizes, as well as enjoy healthy food options catered by McDonald’s.

Participants are encouraged to wear appropriate costumes and relate their costumes to the 100-year celebration Homecoming theme as well as to Halloween. 

Jared Hauer, chairman for the race results committee, which is one of seven committees that organized the race, said it will be exciting to see the different costumes and what people think of.

Michael Mulvaney, a professor in the department of recreation administration, said the event is organized and run by students and serves two key purposes.

The event serves as an integrated learning experience for classes associated with the department of recreation administration.

REC 3320 Festivals and Special Events, REC 3900 Operations of Recreation Facilities, REC 4740 Research and Evaluation, and REC 4850 Finance in Recreation all have some part in organizing and hosting the event.   

“It provides an excellent out of the classroom experience for each one of the classes involved,” Mulvaney said. “It gives the students hands-on learning to actually implement what we’re doing in the classroom.”

The event also serves as a fundraiser for the three student clubs in the department of recreation.

Mulvaney said the funds that are generated go directly back to the students in order to help support the activities and events that the clubs do throughout the year. 

The event will also have great campus and community support since it has been successful for so many years, Mulvaney said.

“Without that type of support a lot of the funds wouldn’t happen,” Mulvaney said.

Mulvaney is optimistic that the race will be successful this year and will give runners a memorable experience that brings students, alumni and community members back every year.

“We want the participants to have a great time and enjoyable experience,” Mulvaney said. 

Hauer said he is looking forward to making sure the race runs smoothly.

“Just have fun with the race,” Hauer said. 

Analicia Haynes can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].