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SALT LAKE CITY — More than 12,000 runners will participate in the re-routed Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Saturday.
The annual race was re-routed to give runners more space and better access, race organizers said. Construction in the Gateway area was also an issue the race encountered. The route will zig-zag in and around Library Square, beginning at State Street and 500 South. From there, it will head to 900 South, head onto 1300 South and turn back onto 500 East, making almost a full circle.
Race organizers have sent out post cards and door hangers to the people within those blocks to make them aware of the road closures, but Salt Lake Police will also have officers at every affected intersection and any motorist who needs to get through will be allowed to.
"Just request permission to transit," said Salt Lake City Police Department det. Dennis McGowan. "And the police office will certainly comply as the situation with the run permits."
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When Jerry Greenwood felt a lump in his breast, he immediately assumed it was cartilage or a piece of bone from some minor, unrecognized football injury.Police are asking that people be patient and courteous throughout the closures, which will start at 6 a.m. and are expected to reopen around 10:30 a.m.
Registration for this year's "Race for the Cure" is down more than 20 percent from last year, when about 16,000 people participated. That's primarily due to the controversy earlier this year when the national office of Susan G. Komen announced it was pulling its funding from Planned Parenthood, a decision that was later reversed. Other states are also reporting reduced race participation this year.
"It's affected the organization locally only in terms of race numbers, which in turn effect how much we're able to raise and give to our grantees, because we do give 75 percent of our funds away here locally," said Susan G. Komen of Salt Lake City executive director Debbie Mintowt.
Last year's race in Salt Lake generated about $900,000, and organizers are hoping to match that amount this year, despite the reduced numbers of people.
