Lace Em Up for Walnut Festival Run Sunday

The Walnut Festival Run for Education on Sunday takes note of the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, including a theme of "Honoring Emergency Personnel" and a patriotic costume contest.

The event continues a tradition of half a century in raising money for local schools.

There are two distances — a 10K race (two loops) and a 5K run/walk, following downtown's flat and fast streets. The start line for both events will be Main and Olympic, in front of Lulumon. The finish line for both distances will be in Broadway Shopping Center, near Nordstrom.

Both 5K and 10K events start at 8 a.m. with day-of-registration beginning at 6:30. The free kids 1K run is at 9:30 a.m.

Early morning checkin for the races is still available, but organizers say they can't guarantee T-shirt availability for latecomers. Race-day registration is $30 for youth (14 and under) and $40 for age 15 and older. 

Walnut Creek Mayor Cindy Silva is signed up to start the race.

There will be music by a Walnut Creek Intermediate School group singing the national anthem, the Oak Grove Family Blue Grass Band, Las Lomas High musicians and the cheer squads from Northgate and Las Lomas High.

The finish line announcer is Tommy Greenless, a Walnut Creek resident who once qualified for the U.S. Olympic marathon trials.