Heart of Heath 5K, Family Run to Preview Towne Center Park Renovation

Runners and families will get a first look at Towne Center Park’s renovated playground, pickleball and basketball courts when the Heart of Heath 5K & 1-Mile Family Run comes to Heath on Saturday, April 4, 2026. Organizers say the event doubles as a community celebration on the park’s new festival street with food vendors, music and family activities.

The race is presented by the City of Heath Special Events Board with Playtri / Playtri Racing managing race operations. Registration is available through HeathTX.com, Playtri, FindARace and ItsYourRace; marketing materials urge participants to “Use the QR code in the ad or go to HeathTX.com to see the routes and register today!” FindARace lists current registration prices at $32.80 for the chip-timed 5K (including a $2.80 fee and a T-shirt) and $22.20 for the 1-Mile Family Run (including a $2.20 fee and a T-shirt). Playtri’s registration notice also advises that signing up authorizes Playtri and Playtri Racing to send race-related emails, with unsubscribe options.

Packet pickup and late registration windows vary across listings. BlueRibbonNews and Playtri show bib and T-shirt pickup noon–6 p.m. Thursday, April 2 and Friday, April 3 at PlayTri Rockwall, 975 E Interstate 30 Suite 103; a phone number cited on some materials for PlayTri Rockwall is 972-771-8297. ItsYourRace lists Friday, April 3 pickup 1–5 p.m. at Rockwall Running Center, 539 E Interstate 30. Race-day onsite packet pickup is listed as 7:00 a.m. on Playtri and BlueRibbonNews pages and 7:30 a.m. on ItsYourRace; BlueRibbonNews notes on-site registration will accept debit or credit cards only.

Playtri and BlueRibbonNews outline a run-day timeline that begins with a Camp Gladiator warmup at 8:00 a.m., a 1-Mile Family Run at 8:15 a.m. and a chip-timed 5K start at 8:45 a.m., with awards and prize drawings beginning about 9:30–9:45 a.m. Some listings differ, showing an 8:30 a.m. 5K start or a Family Run beginning at 8:30 a.m.; Playtri directs participants to its Facebook page for last-minute updates and reminders.

Course and competition details are explicit: the 5K will be chip-timed using the city’s existing trail system and will finish in Towne Center Park; the 1-Mile is integrated into the 5K course. FindARace notes the 1-Mile event is not timed, pets are welcome only in the 1-Mile fun run (USATF rules prohibit pets on the 5K), strollers are allowed, the 5K minimum age is 6 years and the course officially closes at 10:00 a.m. Awards include Top 3 Overall and top three males and females by age bracket for the 5K, plus Top 3 Boys and Top 3 Girls in the 1-Mile. ItsYourRace says plaques for overall and masters winners and medals for age-group top threes may be picked up at Rockwall Running Center after the race.

The event will feature a new Festival Street with vendors including La Rosita’s breakfast tacos, Dilly Dally Drink Co., The Vine Shack spring bouquets, coffee and food trucks, a DJ, Camp Gladiator tug-of-war, free photos by Martin Events Company Photo Wagon sponsored by Oak and Main Real Estate Group, and an appearance by the Easter Bunny. ItsYourRace lists post-race demos including taekwondo at 9:15 a.m., Piyo at 10:00 a.m., Zumba at 10:15 a.m. and yoga at 10:30 a.m. Event T-shirts will be available to participants while supplies last.

Parking will be available at Towne Center Park and at nearby lots including Amy Parks Elementary, Heath City Hall, Tom Thumb/retail center and Heath Methodist and Heath Baptist churches on Smirl. Volunteers are being recruited via an online volunteer form on HeathTX; City Hall contact is 972-771-6228 and Non-Emergency DPS is 972-771-7724. Organizers note proceeds benefit the parks and trails system of Heath. The Heart of Heath run, established in 1994 by volunteers to help fund Towne Center Park, will serve this year as a community preview of the park’s renovated amenities on Easter Saturday.