29 Feb 2012 Chase Race planned Saturday, March 10

The Seventh Annual Chase Race and Paws, one of the most unique sporting events in the 501, will be held Saturday, March 10, in Conway.

The event will begin at 8 a.m. in front of Petsmart in the Conway Commons Shopping Center, 650 Elsinger Blvd.

The Chase Race portion of the event will be held first and is open to all runners. It also qualifies as the two mile state championship race for the 2012 Arkansas RRCA Grand Prix Series.  

The race includes:

• A technical t-shirt for all runners
• Chip timing
• $100 cash prize to any runner establishing an OVERALL course record for their gender
• One paid entry into the 2013 Chase Race event for any runner establishing a course record for their age and gender

The “Paws” portion of the event, a race designed for runners AND their leashed pets, will be held immediately after the conclusion of the Chase Race and includes chip timing. All pets must be on a leash and well-behaved for the safety of the other participants, man and animal alike.

In addition to the running portions of the event, there will be a “Paws” best costume contest for all pets, and an opportunity for pet adoptions. Free food and beverages will be available.  

Chase Race and Paws began in 2006 as and is now in its seventh year. The event began as a way for Don and Cheryl Potter to honor the memory of their late son, Donald Lee Chase Potter, who loved running, and animals.

“Chase Race and Paws is a quality, fun, exciting event that is held each year around the time of Chase’s death,” said Don Potter, founder and race director. “One of my favorite memories is running the Big Dam Night 5K Run with my son. Chase Race and Paws continues his legacy, his passion for running and animals, and benefits two wonderful charities.”

Chase Race and Paws is made possible, in part, by the generosity of more than 50 sponsors, including Grand Champion sponsors Best Buy of Conway and PetSmart; and Best of Show sponsors Advanced Physical Therapy Center, Chick-Fil-A, Crain Team-Buick and GMC, In Memory of Bob Hilton by Murrell Hilton, Kohl’s Department Store, Team Parsley-Elizabeth and Michelle Parsley, The Sporty Runner and Tim Tyler Surveying and Mapping.

Sponsorships are available by contacting Potter at 501.514.4370 or at [email protected].

Registration for Chase Race and Paws is open online at chaserace.info. To register by mail, print the registration form and mail to the address on the form or submit by email to [email protected].  

The Race is an Arkansas RRCA Grand Prix Series championship two-mile race and benefits Arkansas Children’s Hospital for brain trauma research and Friends of the Conway Animal Shelter.