Help me Plan a 5K

Okay, I need y'all's help. (And not just the normal motivation to get my lazy self in my running shoes and out the door.)

This week, my county was ranked the least healthy county in the state. Out of 100 counties. This was not exactly a shocker to me. (Have you ever heard me whine about being desperate for a YMCA, indoor pool, road races, or long distance running partners?) The official ranking, however, is initiative enough though to jolt me into action.

Running is not a big sport here. There is one 5K and 8K in the fall, but there were only about 20 participants. I won the 8K, for crying out loud! Obviously, there are not that many people running here. (We did have a larger, informal running, biking, and swimming event over Labor Day weekend, but the scale of Take the Lake doesn't really appeal to beginner fitness participants. And it wasn't timed.)

So, I am going to organize a 5K. I'd love for it to be an certified, age-group awarded, online registration event, but even more so than that I just want a lot of local participants. And I think that will mean a no registration fee, no t-shirt (although I REALLY want to have a t-shirt), fairly casual run/walk event. (It WILL be timed though and I want to have some awards.)

I've talked to a local organization about pairing it with an event in May, but it will about a week before I hear back from them. If it doesn't work out with that organization, I'm just "going rogue" and going to plan it myself. We spoke about a short (half mile or so) kids run too.

I know I'll need (in no particiular order)...

• volunteers
  
• sponsors (because pretty much everything that follows on this list depends on their support, especially without a registration fee)
• advertising (including a web presence, even if it's just a facebook event)
• a permit for a possible lane closure on one road without a sidewalk
• a water station at the halfway point (maybe another...we'll need all the help we can get)
• registrations forms (I need to have a waiver on there, right?)
• race bibs and safety pins
• water and snacks at the finish line
• timers and recorders (I've seen this done many different ways at small races, suggestions on best method, anyone?)
• registration table
• signs and volunteers along the route
• some kind of loud speaker for the race start
• prizes for top 3 male and female finishers in the 5K (just overall, not age-group) and some kind of little award for all the kids participating

That's just off the top of my head and definitely not an all-inclusive list, but what other things can you think of and what advice do you have to offer? I need your expertise! : )