Every year since the late 1990s, hundreds of runners and walkers would descend on Celebration on a Saturday morning in late October for the Pancake Run, an annual 10k and 5k run/walk followed by a pancake breakfast served by the Rotary Club of Celebration at Fire Station No. 72. The Pancake Run quickly became one of Central Florida’s most popular recreational running events, with a course that took participants through Celebration Village and past many homes decked out in complete Halloween decor.
However, when COVID-19 emerged in 2020, the entire world was impacted, and the Pancake Run was no exception. The Rotary Club was well into the planning phase of the 2020 race when the pandemic spread across the globe. Emergency shutdowns were declared in March 2020, and masking and social distancing became the norm in the following months. The Rotary Club was uncertain whether the event could – or should – proceed that year.
Ultimately, the race was held “virtually” in 2020. Participants registered online as they would in any other year, but they ran 5 or 10 kilometers on their own on the date of their choosing. Upon completing that distance, participants received T-shirts and finisher medals.
When the pandemic continued to linger into 2021, the inability to safely bring hundreds of runners, walkers, and volunteers into close proximity with each other led to the decision not to hold the race that year.
The Rotary Club was eager to get “back on track” and engage with the community in 2022. The Pancake Run, after all, is a charitable fundraising event, and the Rotary Club has distributed tens of thousands of dollars from the race to local charities over the years. The Rotary Club distributed a whopping $29,000 in checks to deserving organizations following the 2019 race, the last year in which the event occurred in person.
However, the uncertainty of the pandemic continued well into the months in which the race planning typically takes place. Ultimately, the Rotary Club decided to stage a “friend”-raising event in 2022 rather than a fundraising event, and it held a pancake breakfast without an accompanying race at the fire station in late October. The event was a success! Many Celebration residents turned out for pancakes and to share in the community spirit. The breakfast sparked momentum for a full-fledged return of the Pancake Run.
The Rotary Club proudly announced in August that the Pancake Run will return in 2023. The race will take place on October 28 and will feature separate 10k and 5k courses, both of which have been certified by the U.S.A. Track and Field (ensuring the accuracy of the course distance and permitting participants to submit their results as “proof of time” for other running events). Runners and walkers are welcome, although registration is capped at 300 participants each for the 10k and 5k. Pancakes will be served at the fire station as runners and walkers finish, and non-participants can enjoy pancakes, too, for a nominal charge. The Rotary Club is excited to stage the Pancake Run in person for the first time since 2019 and to aid local charities with the funds it raises from the event.
Interested in participating in the 2023 Pancake Run? Online registration is available at https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Celebration/Celebration10K5KRunandWalkpresentedbytheRotaryClubofCelebration. Sponsorship inquiries may be directed to Keith Hammond at keith@hammondlawcenter.com.