Peabody Holiday Torch Run 5K Returns Sunday

PEABODY, MA — North Shore runners will pound the pavement to benefit the Special Olympics on Sunday as the Peabody Holiday Torch Run 5K returns to the city.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run and Peabody Police Department are sponsoring the event which will include awards for top finishers in different categories, awards for top fundraising teams and the Taste of the Town after the races.

Online registration is available through Friday at noon here for $35 for runners and walkers. There will also be race day registration beginning at 9 a.m. for runners, walkers and for the $10 Kid's Dash.

The race will begin at the Analogic Corporation at 8 Centennial Drive with registration from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. The Kid's Dash begins at 10:30 a.m. and the 5K race and 1K walk begin at 11 a.m.

The awards ceremony and Taste of the Town will follow from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Special Olympics provides athletes with opportunities to be part of a team, make and achieve goals, develop confidence, and build friendships — opportunities some may not find anywhere else in their communities.

After the extended social isolation that was a result of the COVID-19 health crisis, Special Olympics Massachusetts has increased its programming to offer even more opportunities for athletes to stay connected with each other and the community, and events like the Peabody Holiday Torch Run 5K help provide funding for those expanded programs.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)