The 9th Annual Say No To Drugs 5K/10K Holiday Classic was more successful than ever this year! Held on the beautiful, clear morning of December 13, 2009, at the Universal Studios Backlot, the race saw its largest attendance to date with over 2,600 registered runners and hundreds more spectators and volunteers!

Having moved to the Universal Studios Backlot this year, Say No To Drugs’ registered runners and walkers got a chance to run through a challenging course that followed the Universal Studio’s tram route, which includes sets from War of the Worlds, Desperate Housewives, Jaws and more. The race kicked off with a warm-up by LA Fitness and a rendition of our National Anthem by Michael Duff. Kate Linder (The Young and the Restless) started off the 5K/10K Run Walk and Kiddie Fun Run, while Jason Dohring (Veronica Mars) drove the official Pace Car donated by Smartcar. As runners crossed the finish line, Olympic Medalists were on hand to award medals to all runners.

Participants particularly enjoyed refueling at the post-race pancake breakfast, where Melora Hardin (The Office) manned a griddle. Further highlights included cheering on the top three male/female 5K/10K finalists as Lakers Girls and Olympians presented them with their medals and prizes, donating blood at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center blood drive booth, and participating in the free raffle where several more prizes were handed out. Also on hand to show their support were Burbank Mayor Gary Bric and a representative from the office of LA City Councilman Tom LaBonge, who presented the Say No To Drugs team of volunteers with a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles.

Thank you to all volunteers, runners, walkers, sponsors, and others who helped to make this such an amazing event! Additionally, a big thanks to our beneficiaries, Boys and Girls Club of Burbank, Drug Free Marshalls and Friends of Narconon, for all they do throughout the year to reduce the use of harmful drugs through education, prevention and community awareness.

Check out what people are saying about this year’s race:

“Your event is probably one of the best California events in 2009, if not the best. I bring my family and 2-6 high school kids to 5k runs every month of the year and have covered races all across So. Cal and AZ!! I would highly advise an aggressive campaign to get participants to vote (via Competitor Magazine and other Outlets such as Active.com) for your event to be one of the BEST OF THE YEAR!!”

“I had so much fun today and cannot wait to come back next year. I loved the location as well. It was challenging, fun and very scenic. Thank you again for a great event.”

Race Results
The race results are now live, courtesy of Primetime. To see how you did, click here!

Race Photos
Had your photo taken while on the course? Want to see it? Well, thank to our friends at SuperKidz Photography you can – just click here or copy and paste the below link into your browser:

http://www.backprint.com/view_event.asp?PID=bp%1E%7FFu&EVENTID=61110

To see photos taken by volunteers, click here.

Comments About The Race?
Want to tell us what you thought about this year's race? Click here!

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