PORT ANGELES — If runners don’t have red noses when they start the Port Angeles annual Reindeer Run on Saturday, they might by the time they finish.
Dan Estes, sports and events coordinator for the Port Angeles Parks and Recreation Department, said the run was scheduled for December but had to be rescheduled for this weekend because of rain and snow.
If the weather doesn’t cooperate Saturday, “that’ll be it,” he said.
He’s holding out hope that weather improves and the ice and snow of last weekend melts more before the start of one of the North Olympic Peninsula’s most colorful runs.
The Reindeer Run is a 5K run or walk with nine divisions by age and men’s and women’s events.
It will begin at 1 p.m. at City Pier.
Registration will open around noon. Runners should check in at the race start point by 12:45 p.m.
Entry fees are $23 for adults and $11 for youths 18 and younger.
Pre-registrations and fees can be dropped off today at the Parks and Recreation office at the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St.
The race will begin at the pier and head east along the Waterfront Trail before returning to the pier.
Costumes are encouraged, Estes said.
“We’ll have prizes for the best costumes,” he said, including gift cards and other donated items. “So we really encourage people to dress for it.”
Past runners have dressed up as Christmas elves, and one woman wore a full snowman costume, complete with snowman slippers.
Medals are awarded for the first three finishers in each age division at a 2:30 p.m. awards ceremony at City Pier.
The first 50 entrants will get reindeer antlers to wear during the race, and all entrants will get a T-shirt, though late entries cannot be guaranteed a shirt in their size, Estes said.
Proceeds from the race are deposited into the city’s recreation general fund to cover the costs of city recreation programs and special events.
As of Wednesday, about 40 had registered for the race, Estes said.
Before the December date for the run was rescheduled, Parks and Recreation had about 60 registrants, he said. Because some couldn’t make it to this weekend’s run, he has had to refund some registrations.
Through the years, there have been between 70 and 150 entrants in the fun run, he said.
This year’s runners are coming from Port Angeles, Forks and Sequim. One woman had planned to come from Victoria to take part but she was not able to make the rescheduled run, Estes said.
For more information, contact Estes at 360-417-4557 or email destes@cityofpa.us.
