Paul Lacoste Sports will host a 5K at 8 a.m. Saturday on South Whitworth Avenue downtown near The Inn on Whitworth and Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce. Runners will be from the ranks of those who participated in the 12-week Next Level fitness program, but the free event is also open to the public.

Registration is at 7 a.m. The 5K will be canceled if forced to by inclement weather.

This 5K is an event that Paul Lacoste Sports offers at the end of each program, said fitness trainer Neil Woodall. As the Next Level Brookhaven program that began May 20 comes to an end, the 5K is the last step in completing the process.

Next Level was a free fitness bootcamp offered to the community to enhance individuals’ dedication and help reach and achieve their health goals, Woodall said. The 5K is a celebration of the people who completed the program. Woodall said less than a dozen people needed to drop out before finishing the 12 weeks.

Participants in the program are asked to invite at least two people to the 5K who supported them through the process. Those people can either participate by running or walking, or they can help cheer on their runner.

Woodall has worked for Paul Lacoste Sports since 2008 and has been one of the leading trainers throughout this entire program.

“This 5K is a way for family and friends of these participants to come and see all the hard work and dedication they put in this summer and experience a part of it with them,” Woodall said.

Obesity is one of the biggest epidemics the state faces and Paul Lacoste Sports’ main mission through these programs and events is to promote the health agenda and fight obesity, he said.

“We want the whole community involved,” said Woodall, “as many people to experience and be a part of this 5K as possible.”

Registration can be completed online at paullacoste.com.

Story by Lacie Tarver