The 10k to the Bay starts at Homer High School at 10 a.m. There’s also an untimed walking division that can start any time after 9 a.m. The Cosmic Hamlet Half Marathon starts at Land’s End at 9 a.m. Kachemak Bay Running Club board member Randy Wiest said the exact origins are a bit lost to time. He turned to Tom Kizzia, who worked alongside the race's founder years ago, to track it down.
“Gary apparently was a very avid runner, and from what Tom told me, you’d see him running everywhere around town, and he started the spit race,” Wiest said.
That man was Gary Williams. He served as Homer’s mayor, ran the Homer News and started the Spit Run before he died in 2021. Today, three-quarters of the race proceeds fund youth running programs from the elementary level up through high school cross-country and track. Wiest said that funding ties back to what the running club is really about.
"Our mission as an organization is to promote running and walking as a fitness activity that improves health, and it's good for the community," Wiest said.
This weekend, anyone can take part. Registration for both timed races is open online through the Kachemak Bay Running Club’s website. Advance bib pickup runs Friday evening at Grace Ridge Brewing. Runners who wait until race day can still sign up at Homer High School starting at 8 a.m., though late registration adds a five-dollar fee. Wiest said the race has had its share of finish line surprises over the years. About five years ago, a runner pushed his infant daughter in a stroller, and the baby was credited as the first-place female finisher.
"We'd love the revenue, but no time bibs to stroller babies. That's just not happening," Wiest said.
