The 15th annual Fineview Step-A-Thon is Saturday, Oct. 9 at 8:30 a.m.!

The 5 mile “race” (those who simply want to enjoy the urban trails and “fine views” can hike or walk) starts at the corner of Howard Street and North Avenue.

“It winds up through just about our whole neighborhood,” said event organizer and Fineview Citizens Council board member Melissa Gallagher.  “Along the way you can see city views, river views, the casino.”

Although the fastest runner in each age group will win a prize, everyone who completes the race gets a glass coaster with a picture of Fineview inside.  All entrants get a T-shirt, a backpack and a free short stack from Pamela’s restaurant.

Registration costs $25, and you can register here.  Winners get to choose from a variety of prizes.

The Fineview Overlook is both the halfway point and the finish line, and will be set up with port-a-potties, water, Gatorade and light snacks.  The Starlight Bluegrass Band will also perform there, and all participants will be entered into a raffle based on their race numbers.

In addition to two urban trails that wind up through Fineview’s wooded areas, the race utilizes, as you can imagine from the name, the neighborhood’s city steps.  The longest staircase, Melissa, said, is the equivalent of walking to the top of a 17-floor skyscraper.  And steel mill workers used to walk up and down those steps to work twice a day!

Any and all are welcome–including dogs–but Melissa cautions that it’s a very challenging five miles.

Melissa has been walking parts of the route to clean up trash and make sure everything is safe and in working order.

In the past, the Step-A-Thon has draw as few as 30 and as many as 70 participants, but Melissa expects at least 70 this year.  Even so, “You’re not running in a huge mass of people,” she said, so runners have plenty of space to step, step, step!