Get in some last minute cardio before all of the Pride festivities get started Saturday morning by joining the Front Runners for their 22nd annual Run and Stride with Pride event. The Front Runners are expecting over 250 runners and over 100 walkers to participate.

“It all got started with the club wanting to do something for the community and give something back, and to make it a free event,” John Lockhart of Front Runners told the Gay and Lesbian Times.

The 5K run and 1.5-mile walk in Balboa Park takes place on Pride Saturday, July 26. Registration starts at 7:00 a.m. and the race begins at 8:00 a.m., followed by the walk at 8:10 a.m.

Both courses ramble through beautiful, historic Balboa Park. Other members of San Diego’s GLBT sports community will get in on the fun, as the Different Strokes Swim Team and Rainbow Cyclists act as course monitors to keep runners and walkers on the right track.

“We have a race director and a substantial committee,” Lockhart explained. “We start three to four months early, planning course monitors, food for the brunch, prizes and the registration, and the last couple of years we have a laptop computer on site so that we can give immediate results.”

Awards will be handed out in various age divisions, and there will also be a raffle, with all runners and walkers eligible to win a variety of prizes, including gift certificates to local restaurants and stores. Anyone can pick up a Front Runners T-shirt or a pair of their hot new rainbow socks, which will be available for purchase. Following the race, City Councilmember Toni Atkins will speak to the runners while they enjoy a light brunch provided by the Front Runners.