Metro Roundup: Rumpshaker 5K moves to Homewood

A 13th annual Birmingham-area race will be in Homewood this year for the first time.

The Rumpshaker 5K, which raises funds to fight and treat colorectal cancer, will be March 27 in downtown Homewood. The race starts and ends in front of Zoë’s Kitchen on 29th Avenue South. Racers will run or walk past the CVS on U.S. 31, past Central Park, behind Trinity United Methodist Church and then back to downtown Homewood for a 5K loop.

In the past, the race has been held in Mountain Brook, downtown Birmingham and at Regions Field.

Jacky Turner, the development assistant for Rumpshaker Inc., said she is excited about bringing the race to Homewood.

“Homewood is a very race-friendly community,” she said. “I walked the route myself, and I’m excited about the change of scenery.”

The event had to be scaled back this year. The race usually sees 3,000 participants, but this year the 5K in-person event is limited to 500 participants because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Turner said. The race will also have a waved start and will require masks before and after the race to limit stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The event added 100- and 200-mile challenges this year. This gives participants a challenge to hike, bike, walk or run the miles over the course of one, three or six months. Miles are logged using the honor system. Registration for these events closed in January.

Late registration (March 1-27) for the 5K in-person event is $45. The virtual option will be open for registration for $35 through March 26.

For more information, visit rumpshaker5k.com. For assistance, email Turner at jacky.turner@rumpshaker5k.com.