Registration is open for the 13th annual GUARDIANS OF THE NIGHT, a 5K road race in support of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s (RCSD) K9 teams (dogs and handlers), Saturday evening, July 20.

Runners of all skill levels, including walkers many with their dogs, will join Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, RCSD deputies, K9 handlers and their dogs in the 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.

And for the second year, Guardians of the Night is part of the prestigious Tour de Columbia running series.

Participants are to enter at Gate 11 (Bluff Road side) which opens at 7:00 p.m. The first event, a family run/walk, kicks off at 8:30 p.m. sharp, followed by the signature 5K run which begins at 9:30 p.m. The family-run will not be “timed,” whereas the 5K will be. An awards ceremony will follow the 5K.

All proceeds from Guardians of the Night go toward RCSD K-9 safety equipment, collars, leads (special long leashes used for tracking), custom-fitted ballistic vests, and food. The race is also held in honor of RCSD’s K9 Fargo who lost his life in the line of duty in 2011.