UPDATE: The Order of Athena’s 2nd Annual 5K, which had been set for Saturday, Oct. 3, in Bayou La Batre, has been postponed because of weather, according to event organizers. The breast cancer awareness run will now be held Saturday, Oct. 24, at Rolston Park in Coden. The road closure details below were announced for the original Oct. 3 date.
BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala. — The Order of Athena’s Mardi Gras Breast Cancer Awareness 5K Run for Kasey LaForce has a new date and a new home. Organizers said Thursday afternoon that the race, originally scheduled for Saturday morning, Oct. 3, in Bayou La Batre, has been rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, at Rolston Park in Coden because of weather.
What changed
- Original date: Saturday, Oct. 3, with temporary road closures beginning at 8 a.m. in the Bayou La Batre area
- New date: Saturday, Oct. 24
- New location: Rolston Park in Coden
- Reason: Weather
Organizers have not yet announced a start time for the rescheduled race or whether any road closures will be needed for the new date and location. Runners and drivers should watch for updated details from the Order of Athena and Mobile County as Oct. 24 approaches.
The original plan for Oct. 3
Before the postponement, a Mobile County news release said traffic patterns would change beginning at 8 a.m. Oct. 3 for the race. Mobile County had issued a temporary special event road closure permit, and Bayou La Batre police were set to monitor traffic in the affected areas.
Closures that had been announced
The following roads and intersections were to be affected while runners were on the original course:
- One southbound lane of Highway 188
- The intersections of Highway 188 at Coden Belt Road West and at Hemley Road Extension
- Coden Belt Road South approaching intersections along the race route
Officers were also to monitor traffic on Coden Belt Road South as vehicles approached intersections along the route, and drivers had been advised to expect delays and use caution until the race was over.
Why Highway 188 matters
Highway 188 is the main route connecting Bayou La Batre with Grand Bay to the west and Coden and Alabama 193 toward Dauphin Island to the east. It carries local commuters, seafood industry traffic and visitors bound for the coast, so even a partial lane closure can slow travel through the area.
Coden Belt Road loops through the communities south and east of the city, near the bayous and waterfront that give the area its character. Rolston Park, the race’s new venue, is in Coden, the small waterfront community just east of Bayou La Batre along this same stretch of the coast.
A run for breast cancer awareness
The 5K is organized by the Order of Athena, a Mardi Gras organization, to support breast cancer awareness. This is the group’s second annual run, and it is held in honor of Kasey LaForce.
The rescheduled Oct. 24 date keeps the race within October, which is recognized nationally as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Throughout the month, communities across the Gulf Coast hold walks, runs and fundraisers to promote early detection and to support patients and their families.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, aside from skin cancers. Health organizations stress that regular screening, including mammograms, can catch the disease early, when treatment is most likely to succeed. Awareness events such as this one are aimed in part at encouraging women to talk with their doctors about when to begin screening.
Mardi Gras roots, year-round service
Mobile County is home to the oldest annual Mardi Gras celebration in the United States, dating to the early 1700s, and its many mystic societies and parading organizations are a central part of local culture. While best known for the parades and balls of Carnival season, many of these groups also raise money and organize community service projects throughout the year.
Bayou La Batre, known as the Seafood Capital of Alabama, has its own Mardi Gras traditions, and local organizations like the Order of Athena bring that community spirit to causes outside of Carnival season.
Tips for race day
- Check for updated start-time and course information from organizers before Oct. 24.
- If traveling through Coden that morning, allow extra time and watch for runners, walkers and spectators.
- Follow directions from police officers and race volunteers at any intersections along the route.
At a glance
- Event: Order of Athena’s 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Breast Cancer Awareness 5K Run for Kasey LaForce
- Status: Postponed because of weather
- New date: Saturday, Oct. 24
- New location: Rolston Park, Coden
- Original date: Saturday, Oct. 3, in the Bayou La Batre area, with road closures that had been set to begin at 8 a.m.