Westbrook will welcome another crowded outdoor event Saturday when the Insane Inflatable 5K comes to Sunset Ridge Golf Links.
For Sunset Ridge and the city, the 5K, which is expected to host more than 2,000 people, is another large, high-profile recreational event that compliments the upcoming Tough Mudder on Sept. 24.
But first, the Sept. 12 Inflatable 5K, organized by TownSquare Media, will come to Westbrook for the first time – bringing with it massive inflatable obstacles. According to Stuart Kaul, the director of events for TownSquare Active, each iteration of the race boasts new and exciting obstacles.
Last year was the first year for the Inflatable 5K, and it made a stop at Scarborough Downs. Kaul said organizers wanted to try a different location in Greater Portland this year, and settled on the Westbrook site.
“This golf course this year looks to be fantastic,” he said about the venue.
Based on registration, Kaul expects more than 2,000 runners and an additional 500 spectators. Prior to the day of the event, registration costs $64. Day of registration will be $75. Spectators can watch the race for free.
All participant and spectator parking will be at 2 Saunders Way, in the Bill Dodge Auto Mall behind Main Street. From there, bus shuttles will take people to the golf course. The first “wave” of participants will hit the course at 8:45 a.m. Saturday.
Allen Hayman, the owner of Sunset Ridge, said this week that Kaul and other TownSquare organizers liked the “rolling, scenic quality of Sunset Ridge’s front nine holes.”
“They heard great things about how the city of Westbrook and Sunset Ridge had teamed with Tough Mudder to make a great event,” he said Tuesday.
He said the preparation for the event is similar to Tough Mudder, but also very different.
He said logistics like parking and transportation is similar, while set-up and the physical impact to Sunset Ridge itself is “vastly different.”
“They come in the night before, set up the blow-up obstacles, run the race and take down the obstacles that same night,” he said, adding that the “down time” for the course is only about two days. This bodes well for the regular golfers at Sunset Ridge.
“They are all about setting up a fun, light-hearted, enjoyable experience,” Hayman said. “This is another event we would love to form a long-term relationship with.”
“We think it speaks volumes about Westbrook and the benefits of some of the public-private partnerships we have established like the one with Sunset Ridge,” said Bill Baker, the city’s assistant city administrator, this week.
Baker said adding national events like the Inflatable 5K helps to push Westbrook into the spotlight. He said the city “went after” the 5K in May of last year.
“We continue to believe that attracting large events, especially ones that attract this outstanding demographic (athletes, children and families) and brings them here to see all that Westbrook has to offer, is paying dividends in terms of how we are viewed regionally across many sectors,” he said.
Runners get by one of the obstacles during an Aug. 22 Insane Inflatable 5K on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Race organizers say each each iteration of the race features new and exciting obstacles. Courtesy photoSend questions/comments to the editors.
