The College of Arts and Sciences will host its first Run the World 5K Sept. 12. The college will be raffling off multiple $1,000 scholarships to students to apply to studying abroad from money raised by sponsorships.

When race director Edward Butch started working in the College of Arts and Sciences as an academic adviser, he noticed there was not much promotion of study abroad trips, and he decided this was something he wanted to change.

“(Study abroad is) something that I did in undergrad at a different institution, and it ending up changing my life,” Butch said. “I got into running about five or six years ago, and so I was like, I’m going to do a 5K. And it was the perfect opportunity to blend the two together and…raise some money for some scholarships for students.”

The registration fee for the race is $25, and all participants will receive a T-shirt, finisher’s medal and refreshments. Butch said participants do not have to run the 5K; they can walk, jog or do anything else to get them to the finish line.

All Kent State students are eligible to win one of the scholarships, as long as they register for the race. Winners will all be chosen at random but will be screened for good academic standing.

The race will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Risman Plaza. It will follow the Esplanade through front campus, past Tri-Towers and through the Science Mall, and end back at Risman Plaza.

“Really you just gain this whole new perspective on things (when studying abroad),” Butch said. “And so that’s something I want students who have that passion and want that knowledge to be able to experience.”

Contact Alyse Rohloff at [email protected].