5K road race moved from July to late September
By W. Thomas Smith Jr.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year – always aimed at raising support for the Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s (RCSD) K-9 corps – has moved from one of the hottest months of the year in “famously hot” Columbia, South Carolina, to September 26, a date far-less stifling.
“We have had exceptionally high turnouts for Guardians of the Night, year after year, since we started it in 2011,” said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott. “The number of racing (running, walking) participants and those spectators and supporters who simply join us for the fun usually exceeds 500 people. This year it’ll be on a probably warm but still cooler Saturday night in late September.”
Lott adds: “It will be during the fourth week of the college football season, but it’ll be an away game at Alabama for the Gamecocks, so no traffic or scheduling issues. We want everyone to join us.”
Runners of all skill levels, including walking participants many with their dogs, will join Sheriff Lott, RCSD deputies, K9 handlers and their dogs in the 5K (3.1-mile), multi-block nighttime road race beginning and ending at the S.C. State Fairgrounds and winding along Bluff Road and Rosewood Drive in Columbia. The 9:00 p.m. 5K race will be timed. An earlier 8:00 p.m. fun run/walk will not be timed.
As in previous years, Guardians of the Night 2026 has a twofold purpose: First and foremost, the event honors the memory of RCSD K-9s who have been lost in the line of duty since 2011. Second, all moneys raised will benefit RCSD K9s by helping cover the ever-increasing cost of food, training, safety equipment, collars, leads (special long leashes used for tracking), and custom-fitted ballistic vests for each dog.
RCSD currently maintains 23 K-9s, including several full-service patrol dogs, responsible for criminal apprehension, tracking and pursuit, narcotics detection, and locating missing persons. RCSD also fields EOD dogs (K-9s that detect bombs and explosive devices), electronics-detection (computer hard drives, cameras, etc.) K-9s, search-and-recovery K-9s, and “C.J.,” the department’s popular crisis intervention K-9.
–To register for the 15th annual Guardians of the Night, visit https://strictlyrunning.com.
