Paper Doll Parade and
Breast Cancer Awareness 5K Road Race 

Ridge Ferry Park

​Date: September 26, 2026

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Start and Finish Location: Ridge Ferry Park on the gravel trail in front of the Coca-Cola stage. 

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Run: The 5K is set to start at approximately time TBD.

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Health Walk: The walk is set to start at approximately time TBD.

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Race Certification: The course is certified and serves as a Peachtree Road Race qualifier.

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Costume Contest: We will have a pre-race costume contest and encourage all runners, walkers, spectators, and more to help celebrate the event by wearing pink or dressing up. Judging for the contest will begin around time TBD.

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Early Bird Registration will open. The Early Bird 5K cost is $31, and the walk is $26. A portion of the race funds goes to help support mammography scholarships. Early Bird Registration closes on Sunday, August 30, at midnight.

Early Bird pricing special will run until Sunday, August 30.

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Registration: Registration is now open. The 5K cost is $41, and the walk is $36. A portion of the race funds goes to help support mammography scholarships. Register by Wednesday, September 16. After September 16, t-shirt sizes are not guaranteed. Late registration is in-person only and is $46 for the run and $36 for the walk.

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T-Shirts: If you are not registered by Wednesday, September 16, you are not guaranteed a t-shirt. We pre-order for race participants and only order a few extras. To guarantee your t-shirt, please register by September 16. T-shirt order will be placed the morning of September 17 to ensure they are delivered in time, as we have switched t-shirt vendors and now have to order them from a company out of state. Thank you. 

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Group Registration: We offer a discount for groups of 10 or more who register for the walk or run. Group Registration closes on Wednesday, September 16. There is no late registration for groups. Group registration can be done online at runsignup or in person at 1 Shorter Ave. Rome, GA.  Groups receive a $5 off per person.​

One person in the group will be responsible for packet pick-up, and communication should race times, walk times, or events change.​

​​Packet Pickup: Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation will host group packet pick-up on Thursday, September 24th, at Parks and Recreation's Main Office located at 1 Shorter Ave from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Packet pickup will also be held on Friday, September 25th, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the new Academy Sports and Outdoors in Rome, located at 232 Shorter Ave, Rome, GA 30165.

There will also be race-day packet pick up starting at time TBD.

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Walk Details:  The walk consists of portions of a gravel path and paved trail surface within Ridge Ferry Park. The distance is approximately 1.7 miles and will not be timed. Dogs on a leash are allowed during the walk, but walkers must clean up after their pets.

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Run Details: The run consists of portions of gravel path as well as paved trails within Ridge Ferry Park. The course is flat and fast with only one true hill. Due to trail size, we ask anyone wanting to use a baby jogger to start at the back of the running pack. While we love our four-legged friends, dogs are not allowed to participate in the 5K race.

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Post Race: There will be fruit, Powerade, and water on the concrete pad in front of the Coca-Cola Stage at Ridge Ferry Park as well as music and lots of fun. There will also be food trucks on hand.

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Water: There will be one water station on the course.

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Awards: The top three finishers in their age groups, as well as the first overall male and female, first overall male and female master’s runners, and first overall male and female grandmasters runners, receive awards. The awards ceremony will start at approximately 10:30 a.m. after the survivors' recognition.

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Age Groups: 8 and under, 9-10, 11-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+

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Weather or other issues: All attempts will be made for the race and walk to run as scheduled. This is a rain-or-shine event. If the race has to be postponed for a weather event or other reason, we will schedule a make-up day and time and communicate this information through media channels, our social media accounts, our website, and via the email address registrants entered on their forms.