Sam Lapidus run celebrates 40 years

The annual Sam Lapidus Montclair Run is celebrating its 40th year with a 10K, 5K and one-mile fun run.

The annual Thanksgiving Day event organized by the Levite Jewish Community Center raises money and awareness for childhood cancer research and treatment centers.

The Montclair Run has been around for decades, but was renamed a few years ago to honor the life of Sam Lapidus, who lost a battle to cancer as a teen.

Lapidus was an active member of the LJCC and fitness enthusiast before being diagnosed and eventually passing away from pediatric cancer, and now the event benefits the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. 

The center at Children’s of Alabama treats more than 90 percent of pediatric cancer patients in the state, and proceeds from the run will benefit families the center treats. Proceeds also benefit the LJCC.

“This meaningful community event celebrates the life of Sam Lapidus, his love of fitness and the LJCC, his love of family and friends and his love of life which he lived to the fullest,” LJCC representative Stephanie Salvago said.

The event will be Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day, with the 10K and 5K races starting at 8:30 a.m. The one-mile fun run is at 10 a.m., and the awards ceremony for all three races is at 10:30 a.m.

Registration is $36 each for the 10K and 5K races, and $18 for the fun run. Participants can register online, in person at the LJCC, by mail or on the morning of the event prior to the start of the races. Participants in the 10K and 5K races will receive a long-sleeve T-shirt and fun-run participants will receive a short-sleeve T-shirt.

For more information or to register, go to samlapidus.org.