The moon always loomed large in Apollo but even more so for the nighttime Race to the Moon 5K on Roaring Run Trail on Saturday featuring authentic Moon Pies.
Walkers and runners might glimpse the moon during the night race when a large segment of the Roaring Run Trail in Kiski Township will be lined with luminaria.
The Chattanooga Bakery Inc. of Tennessee is donating Moon Pies, its chocolate-covered graham cracker and marshmallow treats, to participants of the run/walk race, which is one of the largest fundraisers for the Roaring Run Watershed Association.
“Our brand is rooted in small-town America,” said Tory Johnston, vice president of sales and marketing for the family-owned, fifth-generation bakery.
The Race to the Moon event is near Kiski Township’s boundary with Apollo, a nostalgic town that aligns with the Moon Pie brand, Johnston said.
“A small town that does good and has a name with linkage to space is part of the fun,” he said.
Since developing the race/walk about a decade ago, the Roaring Run Watershed Association board members and President Ken Kaminski kept thinking about tie-ins to the race.
The event got its name because it is held in Apollo on or near the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969.
Moon Pies were a natural so, Kaminski said, he looked up the company.
“I got the right person, and they have been latched on ever since,” he said.
The association sends a couple of race T-shirts to the bakery each year, Kaminski said.
An athletic event is appropriate for the Moon Pies as well. The mini Moon Pies given to walkers and runners are only 110 calories, Johnston noted.
“It is popular among trail runners, and it’s part of a good, healthy lifestyle,” he said.
The Race to the Moon 5K Run/Walk is scheduled for Saturday from 9 to 11 p.m. Parking is at 310 Clifford Ave. in Apollo, where runners and walkers will take a shuttle to the trail start and finish line. All participants must bring a head lamp or flashlight. To register online, the cost is $25 by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday or $30 on race day. Race-day payments must be made on-site with cash or a check. To learn more, visit the race website.
