2022 Racing for Rescues

A RECORD BROKEN!

With 580 runners and walkers, Racing for Rescues 2022 generated $55,000!

Thanks to ALL who came out to Racing for Rescues and ran and walked remotely! We have a few post-event things to share:

If you missed the live stream and would like to meet the adoptable dogs who attended the event, you can still catch that right here.
You can find photos of:
- people and dogs enjoying the event, running, and walking right here.
- people and dogs crossing the finish line right here.
- people and pets in the photo booth right here.
In-person 5K runners: you can find your race results by clicking here. All first-place winners in each category earned medals!
Congrats to our overall fastest runners, recipients of $50 Fleet Feet gift cards:
- 5K without dogs, fastest male: Bennett Perry
- 5K without dogs, fastest female: Mikayla Raleigh
- 5K with dogs, fastest male: Zack Welker
- 5K with dogs, fastest female: Amanda Hackney
Congrats also to our fastest dogs, who scored backpacks with goodies like treats and toys:
- Fastest small dog: belonged to Laura Bacigalupi
- Fastest medium dog: belonged to Zack Welker
- Fastest large dog: Swenson, who belongs to Howie Patterson
How about that $750 raffle prize sponsored by Hartsfield and Nash Insurance Agency? The winner of the $500 in American Express gift cards and $250 Amazon gift card is Jenny Smith!
We have lots of fundraising competition winners:
- Raised the most money ($50 Target gift card): Lisa Best
- Highest number of donations $10 or more ($50 Target gift card): Bev and Rod Pitta
- Randomly-selected fundraiser who raised $100 or more ($50 Target gift card): Shelby McIsaac
- Randomly-selected fundraiser who raised $250 or more ($250 Diamonds Direct gift card): Jennifer Horne
- All fundraisers who raised $250 or more (free 2023 Racing for Rescues registration and shirt): Wendy Tringali, Vidya Vudata, Donna Tucker, Jennifer Horne, Howie Patterson, Dave Ballesteros, Bev and Rod Pitta, Lisa Best
- Highest number of donations $20 or more in the mini-challenge ($25 Starbucks card and dinner for two at Chuy’s): Howie Patterson
- Randomly-selected fundraiser who got at least 5 gifts of $20 or more in the mini-challenge (two free 2023 Racing for Rescues registrations and shirts): Bev and Rod Pitta
All who registered by April 29 were entered to win a $25 gift card to Abbey Road Tavern and Grill; the randomly-drawn winner was Stacey Lynch!
Lastly, we selected one team of 10 or more people at random to win a $100 gift card donated by the Piper’s Tavern so they could enjoy a pizza party; congratulations to Team Credit Suisse!

Unleash the Giving: Donate to a Participant or to the Event Goal!

Win Big: Purr-chase Raffle Tickets! (Need not be present to win!)

Sunday, May 1, 2022
Dorothea Dix Park
8:30 - 11:30 a.m. (races begin at 9:30 a.m.)

The 2022 Racing for Rescues event features:

• Separate, timed 5K races for runners with dogs and runners without dogs
• A 1.5-mile walking course for people with or without dogs
• A unique event t-shirt featuring participants' actual beloved rescue pets!
• Adoptable dogs looking to visit with YOU!
• A raffle prize of $750 in gift cards (need not be present to win)
• Complimentary snacks and beverages to help you power up
• Free photo booth fun to celebrate our 35th anniversary
• A vendor village catering to pet owners and athletes alike

This event is now a hybrid event! Folks can participate from anywhere in the U.S.!

Pawticipating remotely? Welcome! April 29 - May 1, you'll be able to:

• Submit your 5K results to see how your timing compares (optional, of course)
• Receive the official event t-shirt (we can mail to anywhere in the U.S.)
• Save the lives of stray and abandoned cats and dogs!

Meet Adoptable Dogs in our Live Stream from Dorothea Dix Park (Sun., May 1, 8:50 - 9:30 a.m. Eastern)

In-person races and walk:

5K without dogs: 9:30 a.m. / 5K with dogs: 9:40 a.m.

Dog-friendly walk (approximately 1.5 miles): 10:15 a.m.

Virtual race and walk: any day and time of your choosing April 29 – May 1.

See photos from the last in-person event (2019)

See the 2019 finish line photos (runners only)

Registration Fee Schedule and Important Notes About T-Shirts:

Due to supply chain issues, t-shirts may vary in color or fabric blend from one participant to the next. Any remote participants who opt to pick their shirts up from Second Chance (rather than having them mailed) will be asked to pick up by July 1, 2022 (or at least be in touch with us about coming at a later date if needed); shirts remaining at the adoption center July 2, 2022 will be considered donated back to Second Chance.

Adult/non-student in-person runners:

Through April 3: $30, t-shirt included
April 4 – April 10: $35, t-shirt included
April 11 – April 29 (5:00 p.m. Eastern): $35, t-shirt not included but available as an (optional) add-on purchase for $15 (includes shipping, sent shortly after event)
Day-of (May 1 at the event): $40, t-shirt not included but available as an (optional) add-on purchase for $15 (includes shipping, sent shortly after event)

Student in-person runners:

Through April 3: $25, t-shirt included
April 4 – April 10: $30, t-shirt included
April 11 – April 29 (5:00 p.m. Eastern): $30, t-shirt not included but available as an (optional) add-on purchase for $15 (includes shipping, sent shortly after event)
Day-of (May 1 at the event): $35, t-shirt not included but available as an (optional) add-on purchase for $15 (includes shipping, sent shortly after event)

Adult/non-student in-person walkers:

Through April 3: $25, t-shirt included
April 4 – April 10: $30, t-shirt included
April 11 – April 29 (5:00 p.m. Eastern): $30, t-shirt not included but available as an (optional) add-on purchase for $15 (includes shipping, sent shortly after event)
Day-of (May 1 at the event): $35, t-shirt not included but available as an (optional) add-on purchase for $15 (includes shipping, sent shortly after event)

Student in-person walkers:

Through April 3: $20, t-shirt included
April 4 – April 10: $25, t-shirt included
April 11 – April 29 (5:00 p.m. Eastern): $25, t-shirt not included but available as an (optional) add-on purchase for $15 (includes shipping, sent shortly after event)
Day-of (May 1 at the event): $30, t-shirt not included but available as an (optional) add-on purchase for $15 (includes shipping, sent shortly after event)

Remote (virtual) runners and walkers:

Through April 10: $25, t-shirt included; no charge for t-shirt pick-up at Second Chance or packet pick-up at Fleet Feet, or you may opt to have the shirt mailed to you for $5 additional
April 11 – May 1: $25, t-shirt not included but available as an (optional) add-on purchase for $15 (includes shipping, sent shortly after event)

Really just here today for an official event t-shirt? Click HERE to order one separately from registration, or to order additional shirts, or to order a shirt after registering elsewhere.

COVID-19 Protocols:

Second Chance Pet Adoptions will be following any pandemic-related rules set in place by the City of Raleigh and/or Wake County on the day of the event. We appreciate your cooperation with the protocols in place at that time.

WIN RACE, RAFFLE, AND FUNDRAISING PRIZES

Win a Race Prize!

Do you have a competitive streak? Do you enjoy competing against others, or even against yourself?

The fastest runners in each of the age categories in the Male, Female, and Open categories for both in-person races (with and without dogs) receive medals! Additionally, the overall fastest runners in Male, Female, and Open for both 5Ks (with and without dogs, for a total of 6 runners) win a $50 Fleet Feet gift card to stock up on more athletic gear!

Fastest dogs win, too! Three speedy doggos (one small, one medium, and one large) will each bring home a prize to commemorate the day!

What are you waiting for? Sign up today to compete in your first real 5K, improve your time, push yourself further, or take one of our awards on May 1! You gotta be in it to win it, so sign up now!

Remote runners: we’re unable to send medals and prizes to our virtual runners, but from April 29 to May 1, you’ll be able to submit your timing through Strava (if you use it) or manually to see where you rank in this event. Timings for in-person runners will also be made visible after the event if you’d like to test your speed against all Racing for Rescues participants.

**Win a Fundraising* Prize!**

Win a great prize AND make a difference for the animals in our community! Every dollar raised helps to support the animals in our program and those in need of support in and around the Raleigh area.

While some of the animals we rescue require extra medical care and surgery, all will incur routine costs such as food ($15-$40), testing ($15), vaccinations ($15-20), defleaing and dewormer ($20-$70), and microchipping ($7.50). Additionally, all of our animals are spayed or neutered before adoption, with costs for cats and dogs ranging up to $159. In total, the average cat in their program needs $190 worth of care, while the average dog needs $593 worth of care–and as an independent nonprofit organization that receives no government funding or support from national rescues, Second Chance can only provide this care thanks to our fundraisers and donors.

Any funds you raise from your friends and family help homeless cats and dogs find their forever homes and help us pay for spay/neuter surgeries for feral cats and those owned by low-income guardians to proactively combat animal homelessness.

$50 Target gift cards will be given to:

the fundraiser who raises the most money
the fundraiser who raises the most gifts of at least $10 (number of donations from unique donors)
one fundraiser who raises at least $100, who will be chosen at random among all fundraisers who raised $100+

All fundraisers who raise $250 or more will also be entered into a random drawing for a $250 Diamonds Direct gift card! Whether you’ve got your eye on that special Mother’s Day gift for your mom or partner, need a gift idea for someone graduating or getting married this spring or summer, or need professional help with resetting or restoring a sentimental heirloom, this valuable gift card will come in handy!

And, ALL fundraisers who raise $250 or more get a FREE 2023 Racing for Rescues registration/shirt!

Each fundraiser easily builds their own fundraising webpage (similar to GoFundMe) and can share the link with friends and family, asking them to support you as you become a hero for the animals–we even provide you with all the tools you need to make the ask, so don’t be shy, sign up today by clicking HERE!

ARE YOU ON FACEBOOK? Facebook fundraisers are also eligible** for this competition! To create a Facebook fundraiser for our animals, click HERE. It takes just a minute!

Need not be registered to run/walk to set up a fundraiser/win a prize!

*All donations must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday, April 29, 2022 to count towards this competition.

**Fundraisers that begin February 20, 2022 or later are eligible.

**Click HERE to read all about the fundraising MINI-CHALLENGE running April 22-28 (and its prizes)!**

Win a Raffle Prize!

Thanks to sponsor Hartsfield and Nash Insurance Agency, we’re raffling off $750 in gift cards: $250 in Amazon and $500 in American Express (so you can support local businesses, too)!

You can win by purchasing your tickets HERE by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday, April 29, 2022, or by purchasing tickets at the event with cash, check, or credit card.

Not sure if you’ll make it or planning to participate remotely? Play it safe and buy tickets online, and no worries, need not be present to win!

NOTE: The Amazon gift card will be sent to the winner via email; the AmEx gift card is tangible and can be picked up at the event or Second Chance or mailed to the winner.

From Snapshot to Mascot: Get YOUR Pet On The T-Shirt!

After offering our first-ever Snapshot to Mascot contest in 2021, we’re once again giving YOUR pets the oppawtunity to be the star of the show! Here’s how to feature your fur baby on the official event t-shirt:

Those who have (or have had) rescued cats/dogs can purchase entry tickets and submit photos of their pets (for modeling purposes) HERE by March 20, 2022 (EXTENDED from March 17!). (Even if your four-legged friend is no longer with you, their memory can live on through this competition.)
Your pet must have been rescued (for example, from a shelter/rescue org, taken in after being found as a stray, and so on), but it’s okay if your pet was not rescued from Second Chance specifically.
Entry tickets are $5 each and you can purchase as many as you’d like for as many pets as you want.
After the entry window closes, we will randomly draw 5 cats and 5 dogs. The more entry tickets you purchase, the more likely your pet is to be one of the 10!
The Racing for Rescues steering committee will select 1 cat and 1 dog from the 10 randomly drawn. The selected cat and dog will be the animals on the 2022 event t-shirt, and the 2 people who submitted the cat and dog will get 2 free Racing for Rescues registrations (t-shirts included) each!

NOTE: The pets who won the 2021 contest are not eligible for the 2022 contest (though their owners are if they have different/additional pets).

Say Cheeeeese!

While we’re going to keep one 35th anniversary surprise under wraps until the big day, we’re pleased to announce that Pretty Things and More Things will be adding to the fun with a free photo booth so you and your friends and family can capture the memories! Find the photo booth on the plaza to snap your pic and share it digitally (text, post on social media, and so on). Thank you, Pretty Things and More Things, for this sweet addition to our special day!

Pizza Pawty For Your Team!

NEW this year: all teams of 10 people or more will be entered into a random drawing and one team will win a $100 gift card from The Piper’s Tavern (if you’re local) or to another pizza place (if you’re elsewhere)! Then, you can enjoy a pizza party with all of your teammates!

Race Day Information

Early Packet-Pickup

For those who wish to get their bibs, shirts, and doggy bags before the event, we’re offering two opportunities for early packet pick-up: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 29 at Fleet Feet (3532 Wade Ave.), or 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 at Second Chance Pet Adoptions (6003 Chapel Hill Rd., Ste. 125). All other in-person attendees who are waiting until the event can pick up their items at the Registration/Check-In tent.

Apologies, but animals will not be available for visiting during early packet pick-up, as our evening shift volunteers will be working throughout the building at that time to feed, medicate, and clean.

Remote attendees who registered April 10 or earlier can pick shirts up at Fleet Feet or Second Chance, but not at the event; those who registered April 11 or later and ordered shirts will have their shirts mailed to the address with which they registered.

Directions and Parking

Racing for Rescues will take place at Dorothea Dix Park, at the intersection of Umstead and Blair, in Raleigh.

Please note that while the directions below point out two convenient parking lots closest to the race plaza in particular, you are welcome to park in any parking space you find on the campus that is not reserved or accessible, and all parking is free. If you plan to leave the event before all runners and walkers have completed the courses, we advise selecting a parking space that is not on the course itself so that you can safely depart (see the course maps on this page below).

Please be aware that some roads will be closed starting at 9:15 a.m. that morning for the safety of our runners, so we highly advise parking before 9:15!

Directions from Western Boulevard:

Turn into the park on Hunt Drive.
Your first opportunity to turn is onto Umstead; turn right onto Umstead.
You will see the Racing for Rescues plaza ahead on your right.
Parking options: when traveling on Umstead, there is a small parking lot to your left just BEFORE the race plaza. You are welcome to park there, but please be aware that this parking lot will be closed from 9:45 to 11:30. If you need to leave earlier, please do not use this lot. Alternatively, continue past the race plaza, past Blair Drive, and past the buildings on both your right and left. After passing the buildings on your left, there will be an entrance on your left to a large parking lot in which you may find spaces.

Directions from Centennial Parkway:

Turn on Blair Drive heading east.
Continue to Umstead.
You will see the Racing for Rescues plaza in front of you.
Parking options: when traveling on Blair, you will pass Barbour and then find that there is a large parking lot to your left just BEFORE the buildings on your left and the race plaza ahead. You are welcome to park there. Alternatively, continue to Umstead (race plaza in front of you) and turn right onto Umstead and you will find–after passing the race plaza but before coming to Hunt–that there is a small parking lot on your right in which you might find spaces, but please be aware that this parking lot will be closed from 9:15 to 11:15. If you need to leave earlier, do not use this lot.

Directions from Lake Wheeler Road, traveling northeast (e.g., from I-40):

Turn left on Centennial.
Turn right on Blair Drive. Continue to Umstead.
You will see the Racing for Rescues plaza in front of you.
Parking options: when traveling on Blair, you will pass Barbour and then find that there is a large parking lot to your left just BEFORE the buildings on your left and the race plaza ahead. You are welcome to park there. Alternatively, continue to Umstead (race plaza in front of you) and turn right onto Umstead and you will find–after passing the race plaza but before coming to Hunt–that there is a small parking lot on your right in which you might find spaces, but please be aware that this parking lot will be closed from 9:15 to 11:15. If you need to leave earlier, do not use this lot.

Directions from Lake Wheeler Road, traveling southwest (e.g., from Western Blvd.):

Turn into the park by making a right on Goode Street.
Make a left onto Biggs Drive, which turns into Barbour Drive.
Turn right onto Blair Drive and continue to Umstead. You will see the Racing for Rescues plaza in front of you.
Parking options: when traveling on Blair, you will find that there is a large parking lot to your left just BEFORE the buildings on your left and the race plaza ahead. You are welcome to park there. Alternatively, continue to Umstead (race plaza in front of you) and turn right onto Umstead and you will find–after passing the race plaza but before coming to Hunt–that there is a small parking lot on your right in which you might find spaces, but please be aware that this parking lot will be closed from 9:15 to 11:15. If you need to leave earlier, do not use this lot.

Course Maps

We’re using Dorothea Dix Park’s “standard 5K route” for the run with only slight modifications, so if you’ve participated in an event here before, you’re probably pretty familiar with the course. PLEASE NOTE: There are water stops on the course, but we strongly encourage participants to bring your own water bottles (and water for your dogs) so you have access to water at all times!

Click here to see the 5K run “in action” and click here to see the 1.5-mile walk.

5K Map

1.5-Mile Walk Map

Timing of the Events

8:30 – Check-in opens for all participants who registered in advance

8:30 – Check in opens for 5K runners who need to register that day

8:55 – Meet the adoptable dogs of Second Chance!

9:00 – Check in opens for walkers who need to register that day

9:15 – Roads begin closing (for your convenience, please park before this time)

9:30 – The 5K without dogs takes off

9:40 – The 5K with dogs takes off

9:50 – Warm-up for walkers and their dogs with Oak City Yoga (optional)

10:15 – The 1.5-mile walk begins

10:30 – Race awards

11:00 – Fundraising awards and raffle prizes

11:30 – Event concludes

Food, Vendors, and More

Food

Food and beverages may be available for purchase from food/beverage vendors at this event (if there are any who sign up). Of course, you can also count on some complimentary items like nuts and fruit to power you up before you take off on the course!

Vendors

You can look forward to visiting dozens of vendor booths to learn more about local businesses that cater to runners, pet owners, and lots of other clientele! Check in for freebies, goods for sale, and more.

VENDORS: Click HERE to download the 2022 Vendor Form and return it to us to join the fun!

Note for Those with Dogs

Please plan to use short (4-6 feet) leashes. For safety reasons, please do NOT bring your dogs on retractable leashes. All dog owners must be able to provide proof of rabies vaccination if necessary (tag or certificate). As always, please plan to clean up after your dogs! You may also want to bring water for your dog so s/he has access to drinking and wetting paws for cooling at any time on the course (and not just at the water stops).