Manor Township has announced that it will host the annual Turkey Hill Country Classic on Saturday, May 1, at the Central Manor Church of God, 387 Penn St., Washington Boro.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Manor Township was forced to cancel the races last year. In February of this year, however, the township notified the community that it plans to host the event.

As a result of government guidelines, the event will look different this year. It will still consist of three running races: a half marathon starting at 7 a.m., a 10K starting at 9 a.m., and a 5K starting at 9:30 a.m. There will be portable toilets, and free water will be offered to runners. This will be an in-person, rain-or-shine event, and will give the community a chance to have fun and enjoy their run, said J. Ryan Strohecker, Manor Township manager. He added that the township is doing everything it can to make the Country Classic happen this year and return to normal in the future.

Preregistration is open and can be completed by visiting http://manortownship.net and clicking on "Turkey Hill Country Classic Registration." Preregistrants must pick up their race number and T-shirt (while supplies last) prior to the race. These items can only be picked up at the Manor Township offices located at 950 West Fairway Drive. If preregistrants do not pick up these items, they will need to fully register again and pay as a same-day registrant on the day of the race.

On the day of the race, runners will not have to check in. Same-day registration will be held near the front doors of the church and will open one hour prior to the start of each race. Bib numbers and T-shirts (while supplies last) will be handed out at this time to same-day registrants. There will be a small awards ceremony after all winners are determined.

"One person commented online that this event is just one step closer to getting back to normal," said Strohecker. "If we can pull this off in a responsible way, then it's a step. Not a big step, but a step. People are itching to get back out there, and we're excited to help make that happen."

For more information about the Turkey Hill Country Classic, visit the prevously mentioned website or call 717-397-4769. Keep up to date on the event by searching for "Turkey Hill Country Classic" on Facebook.