Families Run for Ovarian Cancer ROC Star 5k & 1-Mile Run/Walk

Are you ready to ROC? Join us for the 20th annual Families Run for Ovarian Cancer ROC Star Run/ Walk at Tower Grove Park! The ROC Star event was started in 2006 by the Jorgensen family as their wife, mother and Nana, Brenda, fought her own battle with ovarian cancer. Sadly, she lost that battle in 2011 but the event continues to honor her spirit and to raise funds for ovarian cancer research and ongoing awareness programs through St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness. 

Participants can register for a timed 5k run/ walk or a 1-mile fun run/ walk - or if you can't join us in person you can ROC from Home! All event registration includes a limited edition 20th anniversary shirt for all participants while supplies last. Please note ROC from Home participants' event shirts will be mailed AFTER the in-person event and a shipping charge of $5 will be added to each registration.

The event is family and dog-friendly and will include a Survivor Ceremony, as well as the Honor and Memory Wall, Flu shots from our friends at Walgreens (ages 7+), music by TKO DJs, roaming selfie stations, visits from Fredbird and Louie, and of course the beloved Bubble Bus. 

Food and treats will include Krispy Kreme donuts and bananas in the morning. Coffee and specialty drinks will be available for purchase from Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck. After race start, Kona Ice will be providing complimentary sweet treats to participants, as well as complimentary hot dogs and chips from K's Unique Dogs while supplies last. Fallon's Bar & Grill will be providing beer for our 21+ ROC Stars. 

Survivor Ceremony 
To recognize and honor our ovarian cancer survivors in attendance during our ceremony we will call each survivor by name and as they come forward we will share a flower and applaud them. All registered survivors in attendance should make their way to the stage for the ceremony and remain afterwards for a group photo.

Honor & Memory Wall
The event will host an "In Honor and Memory" wall where participants can attach a photo, write a message, or share an inspiring quote and more. SLOCA will provide the materials but feel free to bring photos. Please note, materials affixed to the memory wall cannot be returned. 

Even ROC Stars have questions, here are answers to some of our most frequently asked questions:

1. Can my friends/ family/ neighbors still register? Heck yes, registration remains open until race morning. You can even register onsite at the event - but some t-shirt sizes are limited, so we suggest registering soon to lock in your preferred size.

2. Can I bring a stroller? Absolutely! Even the tiniest ROC Stars are welcome. Little ones do not need to register to attend but if you want an event shirt for them, they will need to register. Our smallest size event shirt is about a 4T. We do ask that those with strollers start nearer the back of the crowd to allow our competitive runners to start at the front. Bikes, scooters, and skateboards are not allowed.

3. Can I bring my dog? We love dogs. As long as your furry friend is friendly, leashed up, and up-to-date on vaccinations we say bring them on down. Again, we ask that those with four-legged participants start nearer the back so that competitive runners can start up front. Dressing your dog up in teal tutus is totally optional but we do love that too!

4. Where do I pick up my t-shirt? We offer advance packet pickup at the Town & Country location of Big River Running starting Thursday, October 9th from 3-6 pm, Friday, October 10th from 10 am - 6 pm, and Saturday, October 11th from 10 am - 1 pm. If you are not able to pick up your packet in advance you can also pick up race morning beginning at 8:00 am at the Packet Pickup Table inside the Sons of Rest Shelter.

5. Can I pick up packets for family and friends? You sure can. Please make sure you have their first and last name so our friendly volunteers can look them up in the system and pull their supplies. If you are picking up for a large group, it is helpful if you bring a printed list so our volunteers don't need to ask you to spell each name. 

6. Can I register at advance packet pickup? Space is very limited at packet pickup and we often have long lines, we do not encourage registration at packet pickup. You can register online via your phone if necessary and the packet will be available immediately, there is no delay between registration and packet pickup being available for that participant. 

7. What if I registered to ROC From Home? If you registered to ROC From Home or complete the event virtually your t-shirt and materials will automatically be mailed to you after the event. Please note, you must have registered for ROC From Home to have your shirt mailed - other event shirts will not be mailed after the event if they are not picked up. 

8. Where is the event? The ROC Star takes place in Tower Grove Park. Please see here for a Tower Grove Park Map, note the event site will be at the Sons of Rest Shelter which is #17 on the linked map. 

9. Where should I park? There is ample parking in and around Tower Grove Park on Main Dr., Magnolia Ave., Grand Blvd., and Arsenal St.  There is limited marked handicap parking near the entrance, A participant drop off area is located on Main Dr. near Osborn Dr. - we request you use participant drop off for medically necessary participants only to alleviate traffic congestion. 

10. Are the 5k and one-mile courses different? Both events will start at the same spot, however one-mile walkers and runners will split shortly after start and will continue on separately. You can view our 5k course map here, or our one-mile course map here. 

11. Will water be available? Yes, we will have some bottled water from our friends at Walgreens, but to reduce waste we encourage you to bring a reusable water bottle which can be filled at the water fountains located throughout the Park.

12. What will there be to snack on? We get it, ROC Stars get hungry. This year we will have Krispy Kreme donuts as well as bananas before the run. Coffee and specialty drinks will be available for purchase from Travelin' Toms Coffee Truck. After the race Kona Ice Sno Cone Truck will be providing complimentary cool treats to each participant, there will also be complimentary hot dogs and chips from K's Unique Dogs while supplies last, and beer from our friends at Fallon's Bar & Grill for our 21+ ROC Stars. 

13. What should I bring for the Memory & Honor Wall? We will have an Honor & Memory Wall. If you would like to share, please feel free to bring photos or other small papers to attach to the wall. We will provide tape and markers. Please note, due to the nature of the event photos cannot be returned.

14. I'm a Survivor, how do I participate in the Survivor Ceremony? When you registered you indicated if you were an Ovarian Cancer Survivor, we will read aloud the names of everyone who indicated they are a Survivor. We ask that Survivors gather near the stage at 8:45 am for the Ceremony and stick around for a group photo afterwards.

15. Anything else I should bring? Yep, we will have some awesome raffles and SLOCA merch available for sale. Cash, check and credit cards will be accepted for both. For raffles you must be present to win and collect your prize, winners will be announced from the stage at 10:00 am.

16. Are there awards? Whoa, you must be fast! Yes, there will be medals awarded to the first, second, and third place male and female finishers in their age groups. The award ceremony will take place at the stage at 10:00 am, your name will be called from the stage and our friendly volunteers will award your medal. Winners must be present to accept their award, medals will not be shipped. 

17. Will there be event photos? We will not have specific on-course photos through RunSignup but our event photographers will be all over the event footprint - so smile! We will also have roaming selfie stations where you can send yourself digital photos or get print outs on the spot. All photos from the event will be uploaded to our Facebook page one week after the event.

18. Where can I check my race results? If you participated in the 5k, you can check your official time here. The one-mile and Kid's Fun Run are not timed, and results are not recorded.
19. What happens if it rains? ROC stars go on rain or shine, however if the race organizers deem the conditions unsafe or lightning is detected in the area, they reserve the right to alter or cancel the event due to inclement weather. Please note refunds will not be issued in the event of a weather-related cancellation, and the event will pivot to a ROC from Home event for all participants. 

We hope these FAQs help you to plan your trip to Tower Grove Park to ROC with us. If you have any other questions please reach out to us at info@sloca.org.

The event organizers reserve the right to alter or cancel the event due to inclement weather if conditions are deemed to be unsafe.  Please note refunds will not be issued in the event of a weather-related cancellation, and the event will pivot to a ROC from Home event for all participants. The event will not be rescheduled. As we are able, we will communicate delays and schedule updates prior to event start on Facebook and Instagram. Please follow @STLOvarian for real-time updates.

Please view the attached Adverse Weather Policy for more details.

Packet Pickup Times

You are able to pick up packets for friends, family, team members, etc. but you must have first and last name of each participant. Unfortunately packet pickup volunteers are not able to pull team lists or rosters. If you are picking up for more than five participants we suggest bringing a list so volunteers do not need to ask the spelling of each name. 

Due to space constraints and lines, registration is not available at advance packet pickup. You can register online or via phone and the packet will be able to be picked up as soon as the registration is completed.

• Thursday, October 9th, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
• Friday, October 10th, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
• Saturday, October 11th, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Big River Running | Town & Country Location
13969 Manchester Rd. 
St. Louis, MO 63011

Day-of packet pickup will be offered this year, however we strongly encourage advance packet pickup to alleviate long lines at the event. Day-of packet pickup will be available at the Registration table in the Sons of Rest Pavilion from 8:00 - 9:00 am on race morning.

We look forward to ROC'ing with you for the 19th Annual FamiliesROC event. Check out our event lineup below:

• 8:00 am - Event Grounds Open
• 9:00 am - Survivor Ceremony, all registered survivors in attendance are encouraged to join us at the stage!
• 9:10 am - National Anthem
• 9:15 am - One-mile Race Start
• 9:25 am - 5k Race Start
• 10:00 am - Race Awards Ceremony | Raffle Drawing - must be present to win!