Manatee County gears up for new 5K series

The races will take place at Tom Bennett Park, Coquina Beach and Rye Preserve from April through November.

By Lesley Dwyer
| 5:00 a.m. January 8, 2025

Manatee County is gearing up for the RUN Manatee 5K Series in 2025. Three races will be held across the county at different locations from April through November.

East County
Neighbors

Manatee County will kick off the Run Manatee 5K Series at Tom Bennett Park April 12.

Director of Sports and Leisure Molly White said the series is an opportunity to showcase Manatee County’s parks, preserves and beaches.

“We can highlight everything we have in the county, as well as our local businesses and vendors,” she said. “It shows great collaboration throughout the county that will involve community health, wellness, the residents, businesses and county government. They all will be working toward the goal of a happy and healthy county.”

The other two races will take place at Coquina Beach in July and Rye Preserve in November.

Each run will be presented by Run with Purpose Nutrition, and three charities will benefit from the proceeds: Bradenton Kiwanis, Chastenation and Foundation for Dreams. Each will receive 10% of their respective race proceeds.

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White said each charity was selected based on its connection to the location. Kiwanis donated $784,000 to the county to build a fully accessible playground at Tom Bennett Park. The park meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and opened in April 2024.

Chastenation’s mission is to give children with disabilities and their families a break from doctor’s appointments by taking them fishing, so they’ll receive a portion of Coquina Beach’s proceeds.

“Rye Preserve has a new relationship with Foundation for Dreams (which will start offering camps at the preserve this summer),” White said. “And it’s an opportunity to showcase that preserve in a different way because it’s kind of a hidden gem. It doesn’t get the activities and events that some of the other preserves do.”

Besides the philanthropic side of the series, the races will be fun. Each race will feature different vendors, which will include food trucks and entertainment.

“Each one will be a little different,” White said. “But there will be an end of the 5K party atmosphere for celebration and stewardship and to just enjoy a nice day out in the different facilities.”

RUN Manatee 5K Series

There are three races in the series. Kids race for free. Adults can sign up for one, two or three. If registering as an early bird, each race costs $30. To bundle all three costs $75. After the early bird deadlines, the prices increase to $35 per race and $40 on the week of the race.

April 12: Tom Bennett Park, 400 Cypress Creek Boulevard. Visit runsignup.com/runmanateetombennettpark. Warmup will be provided by Nick Nolting Training, and the yoga cooldown will be provided by Akasha Yoga Room.
July 12: Coquina Beach, 1495 Gulf Drive South. Visit runsignup.com/runmanateecoquinabeach. Warmup will be provided by Prosper Bradenton, and the yoga cooldown will be provided by Salty Buddha.
November 22: Rye Preserve, 905 Rye Wilderness Trail. Visit runsignup.com/runmanateeryepreserve. Warmup will be provided by Graham Anderson of Anchor Fitness & Performance, and the yoga cooldown will be provided by Operation Warrior Resolution.

author

Lesley Dwyer

Lesley Dwyer is a staff writer for East County and a graduate of the University of South Florida. After earning a bachelor’s degree in professional and technical writing, she freelanced for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Lesley has lived in the Sarasota area for over 25 years.