The RM company who put on this race is my preferred one (Elite Race Management). Their 5ks usually are $25 for early registration, sometimes even $20. Not many frills, usually cotton tees, which I prefer over crappy unisex tech ones and a simple post race spread. They are the best around as far as getting awards out in a timely manner so a 5k, usually an hour after the race started.

  I have been gearing up to RD the 5K for my DDs school and been looking into ways to:

 

1. Make it a race to remember and want to come back too (for casual and competitive alike)

2. Keep the required costs down - (ie: no time, no shirt  - options.)

3. Include niceties only if the runner is interested in paying for them.

A few ideas:

-Participation awards--is there the ability to create teams? Grade with most participants?

-Come up with some sort of teacher/student challenge--maybe sum of the the fastest 3 M and F from each

-Small prize for most person who dresses with most school spirit

-I've actually seen a school around here do a chip timed race with no awards

-Do other schools have races? I did a 5k for the local HS (Honeygo race route 1) and the fastest M and F student got entry into another 5k that had reps from many local high schools.

-Have activities for the non-runners- maybe gear towards kids, things like face painting (enlist the art teacher), obstacle course (PE teacher), etc.

-If you have a walk, maybe have the route totally independent from the 5k or put cones or some other marking so the runners & walkers aren't mixing.

-Could you do some sort of relay option? Not sure of the age of the kids, but maybe a one mile loop and allow for teams of 3