CULLMAN, Ala. – The Friends of the Public Libraries of Cullman County (FPLCC) is hosting the Spooktacular Storybook 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run on Saturday, Oct. 25.
FPLCC President Julie Freeman said she encourages the community to bring the whole family for a fun-filled morning of costumes, running and community fun to support the Cullman County Public Library System.
The 5K will begin at 8 a.m. followed by the fun run at 8:30. A costume contest will follow the Fun Run, with prizes for kids and grown-ups in their best storybook looks.
Awards will be given to the top three women and top three men runners. There will also be an award for the best costume.
“You can dress as your favorite storybook character and also help support programs that keep our library magical all year long,” Freeman said. “This is actually our second race. Our first one was back in spring of 2024. A lot of runners that participated loved the event, but suggested moving it to the fall. Since we add in the storybook costume element, we figured October would be perfect. With the last 5K we didn’t do chips and that was another thing that a lot of runners said they wished we had, so this year some of our fantastic board members got us set up with Running Lane, who is going to be doing the timing for us.”
Runner registration is live now. Until Aug. 25, it is $25 for the 5K and $15 for the Fun Run. Runners will receive shirts, chips and bibs. Prices will increase to $30 for the 5K and $20 for the Fun Run after the 25th, but runners will still receive shirts.
Sponsor tiers are primarily monetary, and those levels range from $100 to $1,000, with a range of perks and recognition for each tier.
“We have had businesses purchase the snacks and refreshments and a few give gift certificates as well,” Freeman said. “All of it helps to make this event incredible, and allows us to make more money that will go into funding the library.”
With the library’s capital campaign being such a big project, Freeman said the FPLCC was just trying to brainstorm fun ways to raise funds.
“We got the idea to do a 5K, and since it’s for the library storybook just seemed to make the most sense,” Freeman said. “We loved the idea of dressing up and adding in the Fun Run to make it a fun event for all ages and activity levels. Lace up for the library’s 5K as we make strides literally and figuratively toward building a new facility. Every step you take supports our capital campaign and helps bring us closer to a library that serves our growing community.”
Learn more about the library’s capital campaign at
https://sites.google.com/cullmanlib.org/ccpls/donate
- Register for the race at https://runsignup.com/Race/AL/Cullman/SpooktacularStorybook5k1MileFunRun
- If you’re Interested in sponsoring the race, sign up at https://givebutter.com/Spooktacular5k
