THIS WEEKEND! Treasures of South Walton Adventure Run

Pirates are plotting to invade the normally tranquil Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in South Walton from October 19-21 for the inaugural Treasures of South Walton Adventure Run. But participants in this 5K run will have to guard their booty as they progress through a variety of obstacles on their way to the finish line.

The Treasures of South Walton Adventure Run encompasses an entire weekend of fun, beginning with a masquerade ball on Friday evening at Tops’l Resort.

There’s a special one-mile fun run for boys and girls age 14 and under on Saturday, October 20th, with a scaled-down version of the adventure course.

But the main event will be held on Sunday, October 21st, when landlubbers will try to outmaneuver the buccaneers that are out to plunder their booty (aka, four golden flags) — all as they make their way along the 5K obstacle course! The weekend will culminate in an awards ceremony, with prizes for the runner with the fastest time with booty intact and, of course, the pirate who scores the most booty.

The Treasures of South Walton Adventure Run is produced by SRB Productions, whose goal is to produce exciting events in order to leverage awareness and funding for charitable organizations.

Adventure races have become very popular in recent years, drawing millions of participants nationwide. They blend a traditional 5K run with obstacle courses of varying degrees of difficulty. Some include swimming, cycling, climbing or rappelling as part of the race. According to race organizer Shelley Reifschneider, the races are popular because they challenge participants and are more entertaining than a typical 5K.

“Adventure runners like a challenge, and they want more excitement than that provided by a standard 5K run,” said Reifschneider. “Most adventure races are extremely muddy, and some are extremely difficult. We thought we’d provide something a little different in South Walton: a fun challenge through coastal forest and along the sugar-white sand and clear turquoise water of the Gulf of Mexico. Nowhere else offers the setting that we have here.”

For more information or to register for the race, visit www.treasuresofsouthwalton.com. There’s also a Treasures of South Walton Facebook page. This event is presented by Visit South Walton.