The West Texas Running Club and Levelland Main Street Program are partnering to host Run the Mosaics honoring Bobby Birdsong June 10. There will be a one-mile fun run, a two-mile race and a 10k race.
Tania Moody Main Street Manager explained that the West Texas Running Club created the Bobby Birdsong Memorial Run to honor Bobby Birdsong after he passed away.
“Bobby Birdsong was a teacher here years and years and years ago and he was a runner with the West Texas Running Club,” Moody said. “When he passed away, they set up a run in his honor called the Bobby Bird Song Memorial Run. It was here in Levelland over the years and to my understanding people didn’t like the route here.”
Moody was approached by the West Texas Running Club directors who proposed the idea for the memorial run being brought back to Levelland after previously being moved to Lubbock.
Moody said the race route will showcase over 30 mosaics throughout downtown Levelland.
“I’d love for them to be able to run past as many mosaics as possible,” Moody said. “We went to the West Texas Running Club, and they loved the idea. So, that is kind of where this came from and how it how it came back to Levelland.”
The races will begin with the 10k so those who want to run the 10k and the one-mile fun run are able to participate in both.
“The 10K starts at 7:30 a.m., the two-mile starts at 8 a.m. and the one-mile starts at 9 a.m.,” Moody said. “The theory behind the 9:00 o’clock start for the onemile fun run is that by the time the 10k runners are almost finished running they could jump in and run with a child or walk with someone that wanted to walk the one-mile fun run.”
Moody explained the volunteers will have turquoise flags visible at the larger mosaics and attached to the smaller handrail mosaics so runners will have the best opportunity to view them.
“They will be running past 30 mosaics and each mosaic that they run past will have a flag that’s turquoise,” Moody said. “So, wherever the people see a flag waving and some of the larger mosaics that they’ll run past we will have volunteers that will be waving those flags, trying to catch the eye of the runners so that they can really quickly, while they run by check out the mosaics and then some of the other smaller mosaics will have those flags affixed to the handrails.”
Registration for West Texas Running Club Members and kids ages four through 12 without a shirt cost $8 for the one-mile fun run. The two-mile and 10k registration for non-members without a shirt is $20. The onemile fun run registration with a shirt cost $21. Registration for the two-mile and 10k for running club members with a shirt is $25 and $35 for non-members.
Moody explained that the Main Street program will receive the left-over money raised by selling t-shirts and sponsorships.
“Not only are they to enjoy the race getting to run past over 30 mosaics but all of the extra monies raised go back into our downtown projects,” Moody said. “So, they will take their cost out of the entry fees, but we will retain all the sponsorships and the T-shirt money.”
Late registration will be available for those wanting to participate in the memorial run at the downtown courthouse square gazebo.
“There will not be any vendors,” Mood said. “This is all about the runners and all about downtown and the mosaics. If they’re doing late registration, they can do that downtown from 6:45 in the morning to 7:15, and that will be at the gazebo.”
Goodie bags will also be provided to runners after they finish with Levelland business coupons and other items at the gazebo.
“On the day of the race, when they finish whatever race they’re doing, of the three races they come back and they will get a goodie bag from the Main Street Organization,” Moody said. “Main Street businesses are putting some great coupons in there. We have some lovely things from some other businesses here locally just to encourage people to come back and visit the City of Mosaics.”
More information and online registration can be found at WTRunning.com.