Women, this event is for you!

The Fleet Feet Sports Women's 5K, 10K and Festival will be staged at 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 27 at Montrose Harbor. This year's race and festival will cater to women of all ages and ability levels and will offer a co-ed Kids run and a kids activity corner. Joan Benoit-Samuelson - who in 1984 became the first Olympic Women's Marathon gold medalist, will host this year's race. Benoit Samuelson also won the 1985 Chicago Marathon in 2:21:21, a time that stood until this year as the American record.

Defending champions are: 5K - Anette Ronnerman, Chicago, 18:33; 10K - Nora Colligan, Evanston, 39:39.

More than 2,000 Women are expected to participate in the 5K and 10K events. The 5K, 10K will begin at 8 a.m. and the kid's race will start at 9:30 a.m. on Montrose and Simonds Drive east of Lake Shore Drive, and will proceed through the park north to Foster and then will work its way back to the start line on the running path.

Montrose Harbor will be a spectacular backdrop for the festival, which will feature warm up exercises by Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers and many businesses focusing on women's-specific medical, fitness and other issues in the women's market.

For accuracy and expediency both the 5K and the 10K race will be timed with state-of-the-art "ChampionChip" technology.

Nike will provide awards to: top three overall finishers, top three winners in age groups, fastest combined Mother and Daughter team, fastest combined sister team and new this year to the top three winners in the Clydesdale divisions. The first 2,000 participants will receive a Nike technical T-shirt and a goodie bag. Volunteers will receive a T-shirt and goodie bag.

Pre-race registration and packet pickup are available at:

Piper's Alley (210 W. North Ave 312-587-3338) Friday, July 2510 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 26 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will be race day registration and packet pickup at race site from 7 to 7:45 a.m.

Registration fee is $2 prior to race day. Race day registration fee is $28. (no discounts)

Donations from the Fleet Feet Sports Women's Event will go to LaRabida's Fit Matters Program. Fit Matters is an intensive multidisciplinary Weight control program, which helps children, teenagers and their families master the challenges of weight control. The program uses knowledge of psychology, medicine, nutrition, and exercise physiology to help participants lead healthier, more productive, and satisfying lives.