Hundreds Already Registered for 5th Annual Alton Miles for Meso 5K Race

ALTON, Ill., Sept. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Simmons Law Firm and Metro Tri Club are encouraging St. Louis area families to attend the 5^th Annual Alton Miles for Meso 5K Race & 2K Fun Run/Walk on Sept. 21. Nearly 500 runners have already registered for the event, which also includes activities for the entire family to enjoy.

"Between our Elite Race featuring Olympic-caliber athletes, the kids' bounce house and the band, the Alton Miles for Meso Race really does have something for everyone," said Simmons Firm CEO Gregg Kirkland.

Online registration for the race is available for $30 through Wed., Sept. 18, or paper registration forms may be downloaded from www.milesformeso.org/register. Registration is also available on race day for $35 from 7:30 a.m. until 8:15 a.m. All proceeds from the event benefit research for mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos.

The 5K and 2K will begin at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 21 and will be followed by the Elite 5K race at 9:30 a.m. The awards ceremony will be at 10 a.m.

Additional race day activities include a "Kid Zone" with a bounce house, pumpkin painting and more; a live performance by country band the Five & Dimers; an expo, featuring Miles for Meso sponsors and vendors; and an adoption event hosted by Hope Rescues.

"Last year, close to 800 people participated in our Miles for Meso race," Kirkland said. "We are hoping to see even more people attend this year."

Participants will have multiple opportunities to win prizes and awards. The top three finishers in the Age Group race will receive $250, $150 and $100 in cash prizes respectively. The elite runners will compete for a total of $10,000 in prizes. The top Illinois and Missouri runners will be awarded championship plaques from the Road Runners Club of America.

Even if residents have not registered to participate, Race Director and President of the Metro Tri Club Mike Wever encourages running enthusiasts to line the race route and watch some of the best distance runners in the world compete in the Elite Race.

"Miles for Meso's Elite Race is one of the few events in the region where you will see runners like this compete. They come from countries around the world to run in our race as part of their training for the marathons in the bigger cities like Chicago and New York or even the Olympics," Wever said.

Both the Age Group 5K and the Elite 5K will start and end on Fourth Street in front of the Simmons Law Firm building. Runners will travel east, then turn left onto Henry Street, weave through the midtown Alton area, before looping back to Henry and Fourth streets. To view the course map, visit www.milesformeso.org/course_map.

The Alton race is one of three official Miles for Meso races taking place in September around the nation in recognition of National Mesothelioma Awareness Day on Sept. 26.  Additional races are taking place in Burke, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., and in Ontario, Ohio, at the local high school.

Miles for Meso is a national fundraising race that is an advocacy project of the Simmons Mesothelioma Foundation, which has donated $8 million dollars to cancer research and treatment since 2010. All proceeds from the Miles for Meso races will support research to find a cure for mesothelioma. Cumulatively, Miles for Meso events have raised nearly $350,000 for cancer research since the first race in 2009.

This year's Alton Miles for Meso race is supported by a number of sponsors, including The Bridge Church, Acropolis Technology Group, Fathom Online Marketing, The Tedrick Group, First Clover Leaf Bank, Jenner & Block and Stratos Legal. For a complete list of sponsors, please visit www.milesformeso.org/sponsors.

For more information about Miles for Meso races, or to register visit www.milesformeso.org.

About Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd LLC:

The Simmons Firm, headquartered in Alton, Ill., is one of the country's leading asbestos and mesothelioma litigation firms. With offices in Illinois, Missouri and California, the firm has represented thousands of patients and families affected by mesothelioma throughout the country. In addition, the Simmons Firm has pledged nearly $20 million to cancer research and proudly supports its local communities through other charitable causes. For more information about the Simmons Firm, visit http://www.simmonsfirm.com.

Contact: Mark Motley
Miles for Meso
618.259.2222
[email protected]

SOURCE Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd LLC