The Great Benicia Run: Strait to the Finish

Run, walk, or stroll a 5K in a flat loop course circling Albany CA's Memorial Park and Albany High School while listening to live music from multiple bands in the fifth annual Move'n'Groove on Sunday May 31, 2026!

The action kicks off with the kids-only 0.5 mile race for kids 10 years old and under in a mass start at 9:45am. The 5K starts in waves after the kids race, with the first wave (fastest runners) starting at 10:15am.

This musical festival and fitness event will feature bands representing an eclectic array of diverse musical genres positioned around the course during the races playing till Noon. On-site food vendors may be present — stay tuned for news!

Registration is only required for those competing in the 5K or kids race. There is no fee required to attend the event to watch the bands, enjoy the live music, or rec skate on the streets after the race! This fun community event is funded in part through the City of Albany's unique Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax. Fiscal sponsorship is provided by the Albany Community Foundation.

Key Dates & Prices

• Kids race: $5 thru Apr 30, then $10

• 5K Early Bird 🐤: Feb 1–28 = $10

• 5K Regular Bird: Mar 1 – Apr 30 = $15

• 5K Late Bird 🐦: May 1 – May 28 = $20

Thursday 28 May 2026 is the last day for online registration. A limited number of slots may be available for sign ups at our packet pickup.

Packet pickup will be on the Saturday before the event at Road Runner Sports in Berkeley, Noon-3pm.

T-Shirts will be available for purchase separately through April 30 for an additional $15. Indicate your T-shirt preference during online registration. A limited number of shirts may be available for purchase at the event and/or packet pickup.

Summary of features for 2026:

• Event takes place at the end of May instead of late April (less chance of 🌧️).

• Three (or four) live bands playing around the race course till Noon.

• Event ends at Noon — no afternoon band.

• T-shirt available for purchase separately through April 30.

• Races will start on Portland Ave at Pomona, instead of on Thousand Oaks Blvd as in past years.

• Food vendors (pending)

• Pre-event training sessions by IBX Fitness (details pending)

Event Schedule

Kids 10 and under go first at 9:45AM and complete one loop around the block (0.5 mi) instead of 6 loops for the 5K. All kids will line up on the street at the starting line for a mass start without waves. Faster/older kids should line up near the front of the pack.

After the kids race, the 5K runners/walkers/strollers/para athletes will line up starting at 10:00AM into corrals corresponding to their starting wave based on expected pace as entered in the registration form, and also indicated on their bib. The first (fastest) wave starts at 10:15AM with subsequent waves leaving every 2 minutes thereafter. The 5K consists of 6 complete loops of the course — participants are responsible for keeping track of their own lap count!

There will not be a separate roller/inline skating division for the 5K, but attendees are welcome to skate or scooter recreationally on the streets & sidewalks to enjoy the bands after most of the 5K participants have finished (starting around 10:45am) and until the bands stop playing (Noon). The streets & sidewalks are smooth, so you can 🛼 or scooter to the music after the 5K! Be mindful of pedestrians, and no electric scooters – human powered only!

About the course

The 5K course is fast and nearly flat and will be closed to traffic and free of parked cars during the event. Here's a course map and a Strava segment for the course which includes an elevation profile. Participants are responsible for keeping track of their own lap count (6 total). Course distance is not USATF certified, but the distance is quite close to a true 5K based on GPS (a little longer, 5.25K). Chip timing will ensure accurate results for all participants. Pavement is free of potholes and generally in great shape. Note that roads are slightly cambered (sloping down near the sides), which can cause knee/ankle pain. Running or walking in the center of the street will alleviate that problem.

Event Website

See the main website for additional event details and FAQ: MOVEnGROOVE.org

This will be a fun 5K looping course beginning and ending at Newhall Park near the playground. There will also be a FREE kid's (7 and under) 400m fun run after the 5K run! Age group awards (medals) will be given to top three runners in each age group. T-Shirts guaranteed for pre-registered runners up to a 6/6/26 cutoff date, first come first served for race day registration if we have extras. The registration you pay will go to the Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Rotary Club, as well as the PFCs for both Mount Diablo Elementary and Diablo View Middle School. Please check out our Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Rotary Club at https://claytonvalleyrotary.org/

Packet Pickup:

Packet pickup will be on Saturday 6/20 at Sports Basement in Walnut Creek from 2pm to 5pm. Race registrants will be able to purchase goods at Sports Basement for a discount of 20% during this time! Please try to pick up your packet during this time to make the process more smooth the day of the race. If you can't make it on the 20th, you can get there early on the 21st to pick up. Thank you!

Sponsors:

Jeff Wilson, Broker Associate - Keller Williams Realty - Assisting real estate buyers and sellers since 2005! www.collmerwilson.com

Torsten Jacobsen

About our Rotary Club:

The Rotary Club of Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise was chartered in May 1987 and locally serves the City of Clayton and the Clayton Valley area of Concord. The club is involved in many projects around the world but also has projects that are important in the local community as well.

The list below will give you an idea of some of the local projects that we are involved in. We also have some regional and several international projects as well. If you are interested in getting involved in a fun loving group that enjoys helping others Rotary might be for you. Our Club President, Secretary and the entire club invite you to come visit us...

Adopt-A-Family Program - Our club supports several needy families with gifts and food items for the Christmas holidays.

Camp Royal (youth leadership) - Camp Royal is located in the Trinity Alps near Hayfork, CA. It is a week long, summer camp, leadership training experience for juniors (to be seniors) high school students. It invites several motivational speakers and community leaders to speak and teach during the week. Speakers are flown in and out of the Hayfork airport by volunteer Rotarian pilots.

Camp Venture (business/entrepreneurship) - Camp Venture is a 4 day, summer camp, entrepreneur experience for juniors (to be seniors) high school students. It is designed to help teach the students how to run their own businesses after graduation. It is held at a Bay Area educational facility.

Clayton Library Foundation - Each week the regular speakers at our club sign and donate a book that is donated to the Clayton Library in lieu of a speaker’s gift. The club provides the books at the direction of the Clayton librarian then completes the process by giving the book to the library.

Junior Optimist Baseball League - We donate money to the league and they provide surplus or out dated equipment and uniforms that we in turn donate to our Twin Club project in San Felipe, Baja, Mexico.

Local Park Programs and Street Improvements - We are working with the City of Clayton to repair and update the Clayton Community Park and the work there should be done soon! Markham Park, Concord, is a 4 year old environmental project where we help restore the plants and the grounds in the gardens of Markham Park, Concord’s arboretum by the donation of labor and money.

Via Concord’s “Adopt-A-Block ” program, we do litter pick up on Clayton Road between Ayres and Ygnacio on a quarterly basis.

We have “adopted” the Cabin Trail in Mt Diablo State Park and provide routine maintenance on a regular basis.

Rotary International Polio Eradication Program - Since its beginning in 1987, our club has been donating to The Rotary Foundation for the world-wide eradication of Polio. Each member has pledged to donate as least $100 a year and so far has donated over $145,000. We are nearing our goal!

International Vision Volunteers - Support of a Rotarian run Eye Hospital in Zambia, Africa treating thousands of eye patients annually.

Adopt-A-Village Project - Since 2011, the Rotary Club of Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise and three Ugandan clubs have adopted a village--the 2,500 residents of the Nsawo Village. Through a series of Rotary global grants and district grants to establish and sustain health and education programs, as well as the construction of a pediatric clinic.

San Felipe, Baja Mexico - We've partnered with our twin club to establish and support a cancer screening clinic and hospice. Thousands of local men and women have used the screening facility over the years. In addition, we have provided scholarship support for high school students to help further their education

RUNNERS AND WALKERS WELCOME

All participants on the course must have a race bib visible on the front of their body at all times. No bikes, scooters, skates or skateboards will be allowed on the course.

We will have a free kids run (10 and under) available to our participants' children at 8am. This includes a free race bib and finisher medal.

There will be 2 water stops/aid stations on the course (at miles 1 and 2) and a ton of delicious and refreshing post-race goodies and bottled water.

The Concord-Diablo Rotary Club will have a pancake breakfast available for $15 from 7:30 am until 11:00 am.

After the race, stay for Concord’s famous and fantastic 4th of July Parade (starting at 10:00 am), complete with floats, bands, equestrian & dance teams and more!

DON'T FORGET YOUR FRIENDS

Help make this 4th of July running party even better by inviting your friends, family and neighbors.

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