Posts With Keyword ‘Tulip Time’

Around 2000 runners and walkers will take to the streets of Pella this evening for the inaugural Klompen Classic 5k as the unofficial kick off to the Tulip Time festival. This is the 18th year the event is being held, which has grown from a small, community race to a record 2,040 participants last year.

The race is organized as a fundraiser by the Crossroads of Pella organization, and program administrator Julie Johnson says the family-friendly race sees a wide variety of entrants.

“Last year we had participants come from about 22 different states; although a great majority is local,” says Johnson. “There are all different ages of people that are signed up to run. The youngest that I have is six years old, and then we also have an eighty-four-year-old [participating]. My favorite thing to see is when we have three our four generations of family members running together.”

Those who have already registered for today’s event can pick up their race packets from 4:30 to 6:45 pm if they have not already done so, with race-day registration taking place during the same time.

The Klompen Classic 5k Run and Walk begins at 7:00 p.m. this evening in downtown Pella. An awards ceremony will be held on the Tulip Toren at 8:00 p.m.