Circle of Life kicks off 2nd year Saturday

The second annual Circle of Life Mini Marathon and 5K will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday. The event will begin at Assembly Hall and work its way through the streets of Bloomington and the IU campus. \nThe mini marathon and 5K is a not-for-profit philanthropic event organized by IU students. Last year, in its inaugural year, more than 3,200 runners from 39 states competed in the 13.1-mile run and raised more than $60,000 for the Bill Z. Littlefield Scholarship for Survivors.\nThe event staff is looking to make the race the highlight event of the fall. \n“We want to get the campus really excited about our event,” said Brian Marks, the director of public relations for the race. “All money from the race will go to fund and provide scholarships for cancer survivors from one of the eight IU campuses for all four years of schooling.”\nPre-race ceremonies will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the parking lot of Assembly Hall, with the mini-marathon starting at 8 a.m. and the 5K starting at 8:15 a.m. \nRegistration for the race is $20 for the 5K and $25 for the mini-marathon. Late registration will start at 6 a.m. on the day of the race with a late fee of $5. At the race, runners will receive a race T-shirt and a sponsored goodies bag. Runners can also attend a pre-race pasta dinner for $10. The dinner is sponsored by Bucceto’s and will take place from 5 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Friday at the IU Alumni Center.\nFollowing the race, IU men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson will be speaking at the awards ceremony. \n“This year runners can look forward to an exciting event, it should be a good time with live music on course and all of the Greek houses on their lawns,” Marks said.