ORANGE BEACH, Ala. ¬— With all the delicious seafood available at the Alabama Gulf Coast Area Chamber of Commerce’s 40th Annual National Shrimp Festival presented by Zatarain’s this weekend, many will be looking for a way to keep those pesky calories from showing up on their waistline. One way to accomplish that goal is to take part in the Shrimp Festival Run to be held Saturday morning in Orange Beach.

According to Run Co-Director Frank Malone, there’s an event for everyone from the serious runner to the weekend walker.

“We have a 10K run that’s set to begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Orange Beach Sportsplex on William Silvers Parkway,” he said. “After we get those runners off, we’ll get ready for the 5K run and walk that is set to begin at 8:30.”

Malone said the run has its roots in early Shrimp Festivals, but before this year has not been a sanctioned festival event. In fact, there hasn’t been a Shrimp Festival Run in several years.

“I participated in my first one in 1978. There were a lot of runners, including me, who looked forward to the Shrimp Festival Run every year, and missed it,” he said. “Members of our local running club, the LA Fleet Feet, approached Chamber representatives and asked if we could get the race sanctioned and on the schedule for this year.”

Chamber representatives were receptive to the idea, but logistically they weren’t sure where the race could be run in Gulf Shores that wouldn’t exacerbate an already crowded beachfront or Ala. Hwy. 59. “We decided to hold the run at the Sportsplex in Orange Beach, and take advantage of the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail,” Malone said. “City officials have worked with us diligently, and we believe the trail offers a great place for the runners to be able to concentrate on their running and not on traffic. I can’t say enough about how helpful the city was in helping us put this on.”

Proceeds from the run will benefit the Coastal Baldwin Educational Enrichment Foundation, Inc., a non-profit group that offers scholarships and grants to students and teachers at the public schools in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. “We’re thrilled to be named the beneficiary of the proceeds from this year’s run,” CBEE Foundation President Yolanda Devine Johnson said. “We’ll use the funds to help make sure our students and teachers have access to items to enhance the educational experience that fall outside the funding provided by our financially-strapped school system.”

Malone said he would like to thank the sponsors of this year’s run, including LA Fleet Feet, Sports’N More, The UPS Stores in Orange Beach and Foley, ERA Class.com Realty, Wintzell’s Oyster House, the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Sports Commission, Island Air, Publix, the Mullet Wrapper, Tacky Jacks and Gulf Island Grill.

“We have fantastic sponsors. We couldn’t have put this run on without them,” Malone said. “I’d really like to thank CBEE Foundation Vice-President Freddie Peninger, the owner of Gulf Island Grill. They agreed to cater our after-race party, providing food, drink and labor to make sure our race participants have a good time after they are put through their paces. In addition, Publix contributed a large check and is bringing many supplies, and Domino’s has agreed to provide pizza for after-race recovery which will really be appreciated by our tired finishers.”

Malone said the fee for the race is $25 if one pre-registers and $30 if registration is completed day of the event. Representatives of the race will be in the Chamber booth at the entrance of the Shrimp Festival Thursday and Friday to accept pre-registrations and, for those already registered, to pick up their race packets.

For more information on the run, see the registration form at www.alagulfcoastchamber.com/files/722.pdf.