The 2021 Rose Bowl Half Marathon, 5K and Rush Kids Run are happening this Sunday, September 26, with the Half Marathon starting at 7 a.m. taking runners through a picturesque course passing the Colorado Street Bridge, Old Town Pasadena and Caltech before reaching the finish line at the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium.
Registration for these phases of the annual event is now open online and will end before midnight Friday. A Virtual Run option is also available for the Half Marathon.
The races are organized byThe McCourt Foundation (TMF), an organization based in Boston, Massachusetts that’s dedicated to enhancing the lives of patients and families affected by health-challenges within the neurology community. With funds raised through such events as the Rose Bowl Half Marathon, TMF is able to help patients and families affected by Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s diseases.
The Foundation was established in 1992 by the McCourt family, whose father, Robert, was diagnosed with MS when he was just 25 years old. Robert McCourt lived with the disease for 42 years, and passed away in 1991 at the age of 67. Their mother, Mary, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and lived with the illness for over a decade.
The Half Marathon and the 5K run start side-by-side at 7 a.m. but in separate corrals at the Rose Bowl.
The course for the Half Marathon winds through historic residential neighborhoods and ventures across Old Town Pasadena before making its return. Runners can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Rose Bowl from the Colorado Street Bridge before making the descent towards the final five kilometers, which loop around the Rose Bowl.
The 5K Run shares a start line with the Half Marathon, but turns and heads west shortly after the start, beginning the loop around the Rose Bowl before returning towards the front entrance to the stadium and finishing on the field.
The Rush Kids Run, recommended for ages 3 to 10, starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Half Marathon start line and finishes on the field of the world-famous Rose Bowl, a distance of about 400 meters or 0.25 miles.
Registration fee for the Half Marathon is $100 and includes a Rose Bowl Half Marathon Bib, a finisher medal, and ASICS finisher shirt. For the 5K, participants can register for $45, which includes the bib, medal and shirt.
The registration charge for the Rush Kids Run is $15 and includes a bib and a participant t-shirt.
For more information and to register, visit www.mccourtfoundation.org/
