CSU’s annual Homecoming 5K is coming back to campus after a one-year hiatus – and that’s not the only change for the popular race that unites campus and community on Homecoming weekend.

The 2018 race is set for Sunday, Oct. 14. It’s the first time in the 38-year history of the event that it will be held on Sunday.

Back on campus

Also new is the starting time – 9 a.m. – and the race start/finish location – the south side of the Moby Arena complex. Past races have always been on Saturday and have started and finished on CSU’s historic Oval – except for last year, when the race was moved to Hughes Stadium due to game-day, on-campus parking issues.

“We’re happy to get the race back on campus,” said Brian Butki, a professor of health and exercise science who has served on the race committee for the past several years. “We’ve always started at 8 a.m. in the past but we decided to push it back to give people a chance to do their normal Sunday morning activities and still participate.”

Tiffany Lipsey, a professor of health and exercise science in CSU’s Human Performance Clinical Research Lab, is the 2018 race director.

Course winds through campus

Butki, who left this week with his family to spend the next four months teaching as part of CSU’s Semester at Sea program, said the start/finish was moved so off-campus participants can take advantage of plentiful parking at Moby Arena. The course will still wind through campus – including the Oval.

And, as always, there will be a free Kids Fun Run led by CAM the Ram following the 5K.

Entries are open

Entry fees are $20 for CSU students and $25 for everyone else; fees increase on race day. You can register online or in person at the health and exercise science office on the second floor of the Moby complex starting Sept. 10.

Proceeds support CSU’s Heart Disease Prevention Program of the Human Performance Clinical/Research Lab.