Coffee or Chocolate? Battle of the Bean 5k set for Saturday at Red Bridge
By Tyler Schneider
The11th annual Battle of the Bean 5k is all set to take place Saturday at the Red Bridge Shopping Center at 8 a.m. The event, which is hosted by Blue Bicycle Fitness, Crow’s Coffee and Caleb’s, will benefit the Wonderscope Children’s Museum. The race is open to runners, walkers and youngsters age 8 and under who want to participate in the Jelly Bean Dash. Participants can choose their team: Team Coffee or Team Cocoa. In addition to chugging hot chocolate or coffee after the race, participants will receive a race shirt and finishers medal. A commemorative mug can be purchased for $4 to benefit Wonderscope.
While the event had previously been hosted at Ranch Mart on 95th and Mission, the location swap is intended to highlight the multiple new businesses and services that have cropped up in Red Bridge in recent years.
“We saw this as a great opportunity to bring business in for all of the new shops and restaurants at Red Bridge Shopping Center. We were hoping to raise some money and help expose Wonderscope to the community, in particular,” Brad Ziegler of KC Running Company said.
Ziegler expects around 350 participants on race day, plus an additional 50 or so who have signed up to race virtually. Competitors will be organized into waves, a customary racing practice that predates the coronavirus outbreak.
Each wave will contain 20-25 racers, with a new group starting every 30 seconds. Because these waves are organized by projected finish time, it is unlikely that there would be much, if any, overlap between those groups. Ground markers will further designate ‘lanes’ which racers are expected to abide by for added safety.
Virtual participation had already existed in some form before the tumultuous year that was 2020, but the concept has found new life in a post-pandemic world. Virtual participants for the Battle of the Bean 5K will not be included in the final race results, however.
“We’ve had virtual opportunities for several years. Some who go that route usually live somewhere too far away like western Kansas and don’t have any local events going on where they’re at. Many also participate virtually because they are really passionate about Wonderscope museum and want to contribute to the cause,” Ziegler said.
The event will also utilize designated parking areas, determined by wave designation. Any prospective racers who do not feel well in the days leading up to the race are encouraged to forgo the event or else participate in a virtual manner. Participants are also asked to not invite spectators to mitigate the risk of the virus.
To sign up, go to runsignup.com/Race/MO/KansasCity/BattleoftheBean5K. Coffee will be supplied by Crows Coffee and cocoa from Caleb’s Breakfast and Lunch.