The Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run for Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA), presented by the Sheetz family, returns to Penn State on Blue White Weekend for a 10th consecutive year. Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities will participate in a 5K run or 2 mile family fun walk at Penn State University on Sunday, April 14th at 11 a.m. The Run will begin in the vicinity of the Bryce Jordan Center on Curtin Road, move through Penn State’s scenic campus, and conclude with runners racing through the Beaver Stadium Tunnel and onto the Nittany Lions’ home turf to “finish at the fifty!”

The Beaver Stadium Run is a Law Enforcement Torch Run event that includes individuals from law enforcement, SOPA athletes, the Paterno and Sheetz families, various Penn State University groups, members of the community, and hundreds of Sheetz, Inc. employees. The fun-filled event will also feature an array of celebrity participants that include the voice of Penn State Football, Steve Jones; and Hall of Fame Steelers Running Back, Franco Harris, who will serve as the official starter for the Run.

Run/Walk Fees are as follows: pre-event day registration $30; student rate $20 (must show I.D.); race day registration $35; and children under the age of 8 are free. The first, second and third place overall male and female finishers will receive Amazon gift cards valued at $50 (1st Place), $25 (2nd Place) and $15 (3rd Place) along with their respective medals. Additionally, all participants will receive an official Beaver Stadium Run T-shirt, bottled water and other refreshments. Participants can also raise funds online for added incentives by creating their own fundraising page to garner support from their friends, family and co-workers. Online registration for the Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run never closes! All participants will be able to register online until the start of the race by visiting www.StadiumRun.org. Members of the public can also sponsor a participant or make a general donation.

If you can’t make it to State College on April 14th to participate in-person but still want to get involved by fundraising and/or being part of a team, register today as a Virtual Runner/Walker! Virtual running/walking is a way to participate that can be done at any location, any time, any pace, and at the distance of the participant’s discretion (3.1 mile run or a 2 mile fun walk). Interested parties can walk, jog, use the treadmill, run outside, or participate in another “real-world” race as long as their activity transpires between April 1st and April 21st to closely coincide with the official Beaver Stadium Run.

Special Olympics PA (SOPA) is also happy to announce that any Beaver Stadium Run participant that raises $750 or more will receive two (2) tickets to attend a VIP Reception and Silent Auction on Saturday, April 13th with Franco Harris, numerous Penn State Football alums and the Paterno Family. VIP reception attendees are welcome to join SOPA as it honors Suzanne and Albert Lord with the Seventh Annual Community Hero Award, given to members of the Penn State Family who have shown support and generosity to Special Olympics and/or the community as a whole. Albert and Suzanne have been instrumental in the incredible success of the Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run; donating over $100,000 since becoming sponsors in 2013.

Race day registration opens at 7:30 a.m. at Medlar Field (701 Porter Rd, University Park, PA); and, the Run will begin at approximately 11 a.m. Access to the field will be for participants only. Spectators will enter the stadium through Gate B at 11 a.m. for available 50 yard line seating.

Last year more than 3,500 runners and walkers took part in the annual event; raising over $455,000. Proceeds from the Run will help underwrite the cost of participation for more than 2,000 athletes at the 2019 SOPA Summer Games held at Penn State University in June.

In addition to the Sheetz and the Paterno families, the 2019 Beaver Stadium Run major event sponsors include: Alumni Gold sponsors – PSECU; The Starfish Fund/ Suzanne and Al Lord; The Misitano Family and Post-Acute Medical; Silver sponsors – Beneficial Savings Bank; The Lubrano Companies; Dan and Debbie McGinn; and Bronze sponsors – Harmelin Media; Intersection; Lamar; NBC Universal; The Meder Family, WPVI – TV and The Apartment Store/Heim Family/Keystone Realty.

Sign Up To Volunteer Today! – Are you interested in volunteering for the 2019 Beaver Stadium Run? Please complete our Volunteer Form to sign up and spread the word to your friends.

Visit www.StadiumRun.org for more information. To learn more about volunteerism and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Demika Poole at [email protected] or 610-630-9450, ext. 226. Find a promo video below.