The eighth annual Kings Mountain Gateway Trail 5K/10 Mile & Fun Run will be held Saturday, March 11, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. More than 220 people participated in last year's event, and organizers are hoping that the number increases this year.
"Participation has grown every year," says Shirley Brutko, president of the Gateway Trail park. "It's really a very challenging course, so it's not for everyone, but we are very pleased and excited that more and more people are taking part."
Brutko has been a part of the Gateway Trail since its very beginning.
"Many years ago I worked at the Kings Mountain Chamber of Commerce, and I served on a committee that was looking into the possibility of developing a trail or bike path to connect the town of Kings Mountain to the Kings Mountain and Crowder's Mountain state parks," she says. "I became very passionate about the idea and eventually started working on the project outside of my work for the chamber."
The trail has continued to be a labor of love for Brutko, who has seen the trail develop from its initial 2.5 miles to today's seven miles of trail. The trail currently ends at Galilee Church Road; the next section will connect to Crowder's Mountain State Park, which should be completed by 2018.
In the meantime, the 5K/10 Mile & Fun Run is helping to raise both funds for and awareness about the trail.
"We started with just the 5K because we didn't have enough trail to do a longer run at first," says Brutko. "But by 2015 we had extended the trail enough to add the 10-mile portion to the race."
The Gateway Trail is now owned by Cleveland County, with Brutko as president and a board of directors to help manage the park. There is also a "Friends of the Trail" group that helps to support and participate in the ongoing upkeep and maintenance of the trail. Two years ago the first employee was hired: a part-time ranger.
This year's race - as it has in previous years - will take place regardless of the weather, Brutko says. "We had one year that it rained, sleeted and snowed," she says. "We handed out hot cocoa, and all of the participants were there and just loved it - they didn't mind the weather at all."
Runners can sign up for the run online at www.racesonline.com. Those registered by March 1 are guaranteed a Gateway Trail run shirt.
Packet pickup is Friday, March 10 from 3-7 p.m. at the trail or on Saturday, March 11 before the run. Registration is $25 before March 11 and $30 on race day. Trophies will be awarded in multiple categories, and fun runners will all receive a medal.
For more information, search for "Kings Mountain Gateway Trail" on Facebook or visit the trail's website at
www.KMGatewayTrails.org.

By April Hoyle Shauf

Special to Shelby Shopper & INfo