Post-Race Festivities: After the race, enjoy food and music. Random prizes will be awarded. Help us start the 4th of July with an early celebration!

Registration Information: (online registration will close at midnight July 1)

Entry fee for 5K run or 1 mile walk:
$30 (Until dates listed below)
July 3 (at Potomac United Methodist Church, Corner of Falls Rd and South Glen Rd) $35
July 4 (at Potomac Library) $40
Fee for children ages 14 and under: $15 (at all times)

Packet Pick-Up: (NEW THIS YEAR) Will take place on Friday July 3rd 4:00 pm - 7:30 pm at the Potomac United Methodist Church (intersection of Falls and South Glen Road). Late registration will also be available at this time. Race day registration and packet pick-up 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. 100 % cotton race t-shirts only guaranteed for those who register prior to race day.

***Each preregistered participant will receive a 100% cotton t-shirt. You have the option to upgrade to an UNDER ARMOUR technical shirt for an additional $18 (on-line price)***

(Upgraded Shirt will have Event Logo on the Front.)

Click to See Kids Shirt
Click to See Adult Shirt

(Under Armour's original loose fit t-shirt with micropique fabrication to resist pilling for durable performance through any workout. The lightweight HeatGear moisture transport system dries quickly, keeping you cool and comfortable and antimicrobial technology reduces odor. )

Race Details

Prohibited: For safety reasons, the following are not permitted in the 5K: wheelchairs, strollers, baby joggers, skates, pets, or headsets.

Course: The 5K course runs through beautiful shady residential neighborhood streets with a long downhill finish. Water will be available at the start, half way and at the finish. Split times will be called or displayed at each mile. The course is certified. No strollers, baby joggers etc. are allowed on the 5K course. Strollers and baby joggers will be permitted for the 1mile walk. USATF Certification MD01002JS

1 Mile Walk: The 1 mile walk will begin shortly after the 5K start. Families are encouraged to participate. Click here to see Event Map

Timing & Scoring: by the Montgomery Road Runners Club.

Timing: The race will be timed by the IPICO transponder system. All runners must wear an IPICO tag on your shoe to be timed. The IPICO system will not read a ChampionChip. Open and masters winners will be determined by GUN time. Age group winners will be determined by NET time. Each participant must pick up his/her own tag. Team captains picking up multiple tags for his/her team will not be permitted. Those running with a tag assigned to another will be disqualified

Results: Unofficial results will be posted at the race site as they become available. Official 5K results will be posted at www.mcrrc.org by 4pm on race day.

Awards: Cash awards to top three overall male and female finishers (1st place -$200) (2nd place - $150) (3rd place -$100). Cash award for top male and female Masters (40 and older) winners ($100). Monetary awards will be mailed to the winners during the week following the race. Merchandise awards to the top 4 & 5 overall male and female finishers. Merchandise awards to the top three male and female finishers in the following age groups: 13 and under, 14-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70 and over. No duplication. Winners must be present to receive awards.

Photos: We are lucky to have Mike Colella taking race day photos. If you have a team or would like your family photo, find Mike (he has the great camera or you can ask the announcer to locate him) and get your picture taken. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity! FYI, Mike has donated his time for the last 8 years. 2009 event photos will be available to see and purchase at www.colellaphoto.com after the event.

This year we will use a WAVE START for the 5K

Wave Start Details: Due to the large crowd last year and the narrow race start, the Autism Speaks 5K will utilize a wave start to enable more runners to have an optimal running experience. This makes sense with everyone wearing and being scored with the IPICO tag. ALL posted times will be sorted by net time. Open and Masters awards will be determined by gun time. Age group awards will be determined by net time.

By separating the expected 1800 runners into four pace groups and starting those groups every minute, it is expected that more runners will be able to run 'at their pace right from the start.

The first wave (or group) will consist of all runners who expect to run at a 6:30 min/mile pace or better.

The second wave will be all runners who expect to run a 6:30-8:00 min/mile pace. They will be moved to the starting line and will start at approximately one minute after the official start, or at the discretion of the official starter.

The third wave will be all runners who expect to run 8:00-10:00 min/mile pace. They will be moved to the starting line and start approximately 2 minutes after the official start, or at the discretion of the official starter.

The fourth and final wave will be all runners who will run a 10:00+ min/mile pace. They will be moved to the starting line and start approximately 3 minutes after the official start, or at the discretion of the official starter.

**Race times will be posted at race site by NET TIME making it easy to find. Open and Masters awards will be determined by gun time. Age group awards will be determined by net time.

Teams: Teams take on the spirit of the day as family, friends and coworkers join together to have fun and help find a cure for autism. Organize friends and family, your school, place of worship, community organization, or get your company involved. Choose a team name and captain or co-captains. Go to www.potomac5K.org to register your team and for great fundraising ideas. Each team member (adult and child) is asked to set a minimum fundraising goal of $100 but we always encourage more! Make checks payable to Autism Speaks. All participants are encouraged to collect their donations in advance and bring them with donation forms on July 4th.

"Team Cayelli is proud to be a part of the annual Potomac 5K because it allows us to join with our family and friends to support the vital research needed to find a cure to help our grandson, Danny, and the many, many others afflicted with this heartbreaking disorder.'" Team Captain Sharon Cayelli, Danny's Grandmother

MCSL Pool Teams: For the 2nd year in a row, the pool team that raises the most money will win a pizza party donated by Potomac Pizza.* Register your team today (runners & walkers). Start fundraising TODAY!! *(15 pizzas will be donated by Potomac Pizza to the winning swim team for a pizza party. The must be picked up and consumed elsewhere)

The top adult and top child (14 and under) for total pledges will win a great prize!!

Details on Colbert Show tickets:

All audience members must be 18 years of age or older. We make no exceptions and ID is required. The shows tapes Monday through Thursday. Arrival time is 5:30pm SHARP on the VIP line.

Show ends approximately 8:00pm. You, the winner, will be held responsible for your guests. If you or anyone in your party shows up past 5:30pm, you will not be able to enter our studio. We understand that these tickets were won in a charity fundraising campaign, but winning the bid on these tickets will not win you or your guests the right to be above the rules that are in place.

You must e-mail us your requested show date at least two months in advance. We will do our best to accommodate your request. The winner must contact us by December 1, 2009.

We're looking forward to seeing you at The Colbert Report.

Studio address: 513 West 54^th Street between 10^th and 11th Avenues

Questions? Please contact us at Potomac5K@autismspeaks.org