Pleasanton will wake up to the sounds of running feet on Sunday morning as hundreds of runners race through the streets of Hacienda Business Park at the First Annual Soccer City Run. The 5K and 10K races will start promptly at 10:00 am at the crosswalk just east of the Hacienda arch on Stoneridge Drive. Pleasanton Police Chief Bill Eastman will fire the starting gun. The run, which is sponsored by Hacienda Business Park is a benefit for Pleasanton Youth Soccer, and is the first such event to be held in the park.

"We're looking forward to a good race with a lot of participation from the teams and from the community," states Mike Milton, Race Director. "We’ve already pulled some entrants from as far away as Chico, although many of the runners are from the area. It should be a challenging race, as well as an awful lot of fun."

Over 450 runners have already pre-registered for the race, and there will be race day registration for all those who have not yet sent in their entry forms. The fee for race day registration is $9.00. Runners should plan to arrive at least one hour early. All entrants will receive a free four-color Soccer City Run T-shirt, Perrier water, Miller Lite beer or Coastal Valley Wine, and a pass for free admission into Del Valle Park in Livermore regardless of when they sign up for the race. W. & J. Markstein Distributors have contributed both the beer and wine for the special event.

Some 80 volunteers from the boys and girls soccer teams will be working the race, doing everything from manning the registration tables to guiding runners through the chutes at the end of the race.

Soccer teams will also be operating food booths before, during and after the race, with snacks ranging from soft pretzels and burritos to cookies and frozen yogurt. There will also be soft drinks for children and beer and wine for the adults.

Various local merchants have donated prizes for drawings that will be held at the awards ceremony after the race. Spectators and entrants can fill out a coupon at one of the tables. You don't have to enter the race to be eligible for a drawing.

Former San Jose Earthquakes Team Captain and Most Valuable Player, Laurie Calloway, will be handing out the awards in the ceremony at the end of the race.

There are three categories for men and women in both the 5K and 10K races. These include: Master, ages 40 and over; Open, ages 39 and under; and Junior, ages 17 and under. The top three finishers in each category will receive a medal. In addition, special Soccer City Run ribbons will be handed out to all entrants who complete the course.

Fast Finish Race Services will provide computerized race results for finishers in both races. Pleasanton Pathways will publish a list of the top 100 finishers in the March 19 edition.

''We're anticipating a good turnout, both for runners and spectators,'' states Milton. "The race is set up so that you don't have to be a runner to enjoy it. There will be a lot going on afterwards and we're really encouraging people to stick around for awhile. This is a really good thing for the community. We’re really grateful to Hacienda for all their help and support.''

Soccer City Run T-shirts will also be on sale during the race. The cost for these is $6.50.

To see a reproduction of the original article and edition of Pleasanton Pathways, visit: March 5, 1984 Pathways.