10th Annual Sharon Timlin Memorial 5K Race

The 10^th Annual Sharon Timlin Memorial 5K Race to Cure ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) will be held on Saturday, June 15^th at Hopkinton High School, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Proceeds from the road race and family fun day will benefit The Angel Fund and its research at the Cecil B. Day Laboratory for Neuromuscular Research at UMass Medical Center.

The event is held in memory of Sharon Timlin, mother of former Red Sox relief pitcher Mike Timlin, who was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,) a disease better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in May 2001. She died less than a year later, in March 2002. The event also recognizes and honors the Timlin family’s commitment to ALS research and The Angel Fund. Mike and his wife Dawn will be guests of honor at the event.

The 5K race begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by a 1-mile run for kids, ages 7 to 10 at 10 a.m.

The course is USATF–certified, with timed mile marks and professional chip timing provided by Bay State Race Services. Runners who registered by May 15^th will receive a t-shirt. Awards will be presented to the top three male and female finishers. The top three finishers in the following age groups will also receive awards: 14 and under; 15 –19; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69; 70-plus; and wheelchair division.

The entry fee is $30 and all registrations must be received by midnight on June 11, 2013. Registration for the 5K is limited to 1800 registrants and there will be no day of registration. Runners and walkers can register by mail or on line at www.sharontimlinrace.org. Those who download the form online and mail it are reminded to allow seven to ten days for the form to be received and entered into the race database.

In addition, children seven to ten years of age can participate in a one-mile kids’ run. The $15 entry fee for the children’s race will include a T-shirt. Kid’s one-mile race registration is on line at www.sharontimlinrace.org or on site if space is available. The children’s one-mile race begins at 9:45 a.m. and is limited to 200 runners.

Family Fun Day activities will be from 8:30 a.m. until noon and will feature fun for all ages, raffles, silent auction, a dunk tank, prizes, face-painting, post-race refreshments and live music.

Runners and non-runners are encouraged to take part in the “Angel Fundraising Challenge”, a fun and easy way to raise money by setting up personalized web pages through FirstGiving.com. Those who raise more than $100 will be entered into a raffle prize drawing. To sign up, visit www.firstgiving.com/sharontimlinrace and click the Join Now button. Runners can personalize their page with a photo, goal, and personal message, and can also add the page to their favorite social networking sites, including Facebook.

Race organizers recommend that participants allow for extra time due to the anticipated heavy traffic volume. Due to limited parking, carpooling is encouraged.

All events will be held rain or shine. In the event of inclement weather, the family fun day activities will be held indoors.

Mike Timlin and his wife Dawn have been strong supporters of The Angel Fund since joining the Red Sox in 2003. During Mike’s tenure with the Red Sox, the couple donated $500 for each regular season appearance Mike made on the mound for the Red Sox. In addition, Dawn has run in the Boston Marathon for The Angel Fund since 2004, and Mike has made several appearances on behalf of The Angel Fund as a member of the Red Sox.

According to Event Directors Abbie Rosenberg and Dave Krueger, several companies, groups and individuals have already signed on as sponsors, including 26.2 Foundation, the Red Sox Foundation, Main Street Pediatrics, TJX Companies, PR Running, Webster First Federal Credit Union, Elizabeth Blake Orthodontics, MAX Performance, Get In Shape for Women, Bernardi Auto Group, Bergeron Creative Studios, Inc., Gerry Leone, Hopkinton Running Club, the YMCA, Middlesex Savings Bank. Capstone Photography, Stop & Shop, and Races2Remember.

For information about the Sharon Timlin Memorial 5K Race to Cure ALS, please call Abbie Rosenberg (508) 625-1660 or visit the website www.sharontimlinrace.org

In addition to the Angel Fundraising Challenge, donations in Sharon Timlin’s memory are also welcome and would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made online at www.sharontimlinrace.org, at The Angel Fund website at www.theangelfund.org, or by sending a check made payable to The Angel Fund to The Timlin Race, P.O. Box 53, Woodville, MA 01748.