HOUGHTON — Local runners interested in taking on a challenge this weekend will have just that chance as the Copper Country Running Company hosts its 1-year anniversary race at the Kestner Waterfront Park in Houghton on Saturday.

The anniversary race features a 5k, a 10k, a 5k walk, and a one-mile kids’ run.

The CCRC’s manager, Clayton Sayen, is very excited about having the store host a race for its anniversary.

“We’re doing a race, a 5k, 10k, 5k walk, 5k run, 10K run, and a one-mile kids’ dash,” he said. “It’s all along the path here, starting at the waterfront park down here, Shoots ‘N Ladders. You are going to start down that way. It’s just going to go, turn around 5k out for the 10k, or two-and-a-half K for the 5k. The one-mile is about right under the bridge. But, East along the east along the canal, and then it goes back.

We did our grand opening 5k, 10k last year on the same path in a little bit different time of year.”

With unseasonably warm weather expected for Saturday, Sayen is proud to help create another opportunity for local runners to have some fun in the fall with a race prior to the Turkey Trot in November.

“We’re like, ‘we’ll do the same thing again,'” he said. “It worked well last year. We’ll do it again, and give a lot of people that love running the trails (a race). (You) have the Canal Run and that’s it. I know a lot of people (will do) the Turkey Trot it later in November, but it’s cold, so we’ll do something that gives everybody an opportunity to come out, whether you do it for fun or not.”

Registration for the race will cost $25 whether racers sign up for the walk or either of the runs. The kids’ dash is free. The CCRC is offering each racer a little gift for signing up.

“Each (signup) comes with a choice, like a choice of a complementary custom set of Copper Country Running Company coasters, Copper Country water bottle, or Copper Country mug. That’s included in the race fee.

The Copper Country running company will handle the race timing.

“We’ll time it,” said Sayen. “We’ll get bibs and we’ll do all that stuff.”

The kids’ dash will start at 10 a.m., so that it is staggered from the 9 a.m. start time for the running and walking races.

Sayen feels that doing another race along the canal is a great way to close out a strong summer season.

“This is just another way to just cap off the summer, and just continue to build the local running community, more and more one, one season at a time,” he said. “I think I’m doing a good job with it now, but I want (to) give (runners) more of the traditional 5k, because we haven’t had that at all this year.

“A lot of people are sick of them, (but) a lot of people still like to do them. We have to at least put one of them on.”

Pets will be allowed for the walking race, so if participants want to bring their dogs, they are more than welcome to, according to Sayen.

Sayen is quickly gaining a lot of experience in putting together races, and he is enjoying the challenges they bring. The focus this year has been on creating the right atmosphere for racing.

“(I have been) learning a lot more about how to make the atmosphere at the start line, just the atmosphere,” he said. “It’s not like you just show up, and somebody says, ‘Go,’ because that’s what some of them have been. Now, we have a nice big Copper Country tent, and we have one of those full cover-ups. We have a nice table cloth, and we have our banners, so it looks legit. So just, (we have been doing) a little bit more of the focusing on the fine details, the experience part of it.”

As he gains more experience, Sayen has an end goal in mind when it comes to building up the running experience throughout the Copper Country. He remains thankful for the running community at large in the area.

“It’s humbling a little bit,” he said. “It increases my sense of gratitude, because I wouldn’t be able to be in the position that I am now, to put these on and share what I know and my passion for the sport, if it wasn’t for those before me that allowed me to get to where I am now.

“Whatever atmosphere of running was in this community 10 years ago, when I started running, if that wasn’t there, I probably would have just continued playing baseball. (This is) just another way to give back to the community in whatever way necessary.”