Book it for books.

The Intercourse Library will hold its annual 5K run at the library, 31 Center St., Intercourse, on Saturday, Oct. 3. All of the proceeds from the event will benefit the library.

"All of the money that's raised will go into purchasing books, library upkeep and maintenance," said library board member Michele Lichty. "Our ultimate goal is to purchase new (carpeting) for the children's room."

Registration will begin at 8:30 on the morning of the race and will conclude at 9:15 a.m. The race will start at 9:30 a.m.; there will be announcements 15 minutes prior.

The course runs through scenic farmland in Intercourse. The route will start from the library and go onto Queen Road, take a right turn onto Harvest Drive, a left onto Belmont Road, two lefts onto West Pequea Lane and Queen Road, and then another left toward the finish through the HC Quality Doors parking lot.

"We'll have fire police directing the roads," Lichty said.

Medals will be presented to the overall top male and female runners, as well as the three top males and females in seven age groups, which are 19 and under, 20 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and 70 and up.

Medals will be adorned with a turtle, representing the African turtle that lives at the library.

A first for this year, the race will be timed by Pretzel City Sports. Lichty said the race drew around 85 runners last year, bringing in around $4,000 for the library. Organizers are hoping to increase that figure to $5,000 this time around.

The link to sign up for the race is http://www.pretzelcitysports.com/online-registration. Race-day registration is available. There is a cost to register for the rain-or-shine event.

Anybody who signs up before Wednesday, Sept. 30, will receive a free drawstring backpack. Any remaining backpacks will be available after the race on a first-come, first-served basis.

On race day, there will be a water aid station along Pequea Lane, roughly halfway through the race. The finish line will be stocked with water, electrolytes and various snacks. Snacks have been sponsored by Graybill Service Group, Weis Markets, Wawa, Wegmans, Thomas E. Strauss Hospitality Group and the New Holland Grocery Outlet.

Vendors and sponsors may set up a table and/or a 10-foot-by-10-foot tent near the finish line. Tents must be properly weighted down and set up no later than 9 a.m. on the morning of the race.

Vendors and sponsors will be accepted up until the morning of the race. For more information, call the library at 717-768-3160.

Outside of the race's activities, there will also be children's activities set up on the lawn of the library, including yard games, bubbles and chalk.

On the day of the race, all traffic must enter and exit from Old Philadelphia Pike (Route 340) onto Center Street to go to the library. Surrounding roads will be closed for the race.

The Intercourse Library and the Gap Branch are part of the Library System of Lancaster County. Together, they serve Leacock, Paradise, and Salisbury Townships.

More information about the library can be found at http://www.intercourselib.org or by searching for "Intercourse Library" on Facebook.