Thursday Evening 5K Race (Sponsored by AREC)

Race Overview

We're excited to be hosting another one of our NIGHT races! And this will be our biggest one yet- we’ve got more spots than ever before! But don’t wait- this race WILL sell out as our last races all did.

Entry Details

• Entry Fee: Your $20 entry fee will get you this unique "I'm Your Huckleberry" medal and a neat finisher’s bib.
• Meaning: "I'm Your Huckleberry" means "I'm the right person for the job", "I'm the one you’re looking for", or "I can handle this." We KNOW you’re the right person for the job of running this 5K!
• Finisher Medals: In addition to the finishers medal, we will also have additional medals for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place male and female to finish.
• Stroller Division: We also have added a 'stroller' division and will give out 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medals for our top-three stroller pushers!

Course Information

If you’ve run any of our races, you know exactly what’s in store! This is an out-and-back course right on the beach boardwalk alongside the sand and surf. The views are absolutely beautiful. We’ll meet right by the Belmont Brewing Company in Long Beach, at the start of Veterans' Pier, and head out on the beach path for a 5k.

Event Schedule

• Bib Pickup: Bib pickup is between 6 pm and 6:30 pm.
• Post-Race Gathering: Afterwards, runners will head inside BBC for food, drink, and laughter.
• Results: Results will be posted online within 36 hours of the event.
• Century Club: This event counts for your Century Club totals, if you’re a member of AREC.

Race Inspiration

This race is in honor of Val Kilmer, who died in April of 2025. The medal itself is a tribute to two of his most iconic movies: Top Gun (1986) where he played Iceman and Tombstone (1993) where he played Doc Holliday. Kilmer made his final film appearance in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), reprising his role from the original film.

In 2015, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer. A tracheal procedure damaged his vocal cords, leaving him unable to speak easily, and he also underwent chemotherapy and two tracheotomies. He released a memoir, I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir, in 2020 and a documentary titled Val the following year, both about his career and health struggles. He died of pneumonia on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65.

Films in which Kilmer appeared grossed more than $3.85 billion worldwide. In 1992, the film critic Roger Ebert remarked, "if there is an award for the most unsung leading man of his generation, Kilmer should get it." It’s not quite an award, but on July 23rd, we’ll help Kilmer be a little less unsung by honoring him in our "I'm Your Huckleberry 5K" race.

Race Registration

To register for the race, please visit: Thursday Evening 5K Race Registration.