Michael Davis, Scot Buxton, Randy Towner, Bob Frederick, Roy Williams and Steve Robinson used to jog in Lawrence. The Kansas University School of Education organizes a 5K event called the Dr. Bob Run, which benefits a scholarship in Frederick's name. This year's event will be Oct. 6.

The third annual Dr. Bob Run will be at 8 a.m. Oct. 6 at Rim Rock Farm, which is about eight miles north of Lawrence.

The 5K event honors former Kansas University athletic director Bob Frederick, who died June 12, 2009, at age 69 after a bicycle accident. Frederick was athletic director from 1987 to 2001, and an assistant professor and lecturer in sports management.

Phill Vardiman, race coordinator, said Frederick was passionate about health in and out of the classroom.

“He was an avid runner as well as cyclist,” said Vardiman, who Frederick hired in 2005 as an assistant professor in the health, sport and exercise sciences department. “He was about good sportsmanship and high ethics in sports. He was just a wonderful guy to know.”

The Dr. Bob Run raises money for a scholarship fund that was established in his name, and it benefits undergraduate and graduate students who are studying sports management at KU.

Last year’s event drew about 230 participants and raised $9,000. Organizers hope to top that this year, and they’ve added a couple of new activities:

• A team challenge. Participants can sign up as part of a team consisting of five to eight members. Organizers will use the times of the first five members to finish. Trophies will be given to the first-, second- and third-place winners.

• A free 1-mile run for students in elementary school. The first 50 students to sign up online will receive a free T-shirt. The run counts toward Hy-Vee Food Store’s annual “One Mile at a Time Marathon Club.” The club challenges elementary school students to complete a marathon during the school year by walking or running one mile at a time. If they finish, they receive a prize.

The first Dr. Bob Run was held on KU’s campus and was moved to Rim Rock Farm, 2276 Burnett Lane, last year. Vardiman believes it’s the only community run that takes place at Rim Rock where KU’s cross-country teams compete.

Vardiman said he hoped people who planned to participate in The Color Run, a 5K event at 4 p.m. the same day in downtown Lawrence, would sign up for both events.

“We’d love to have them come out and experience what Rim Rock is like in the morning,” he said. “It’s a fabulous place with beautiful rolling hills.”

For more information or to register, visit soe.ku.edu/drbob or contact Vardiman at 864-0709 or pvardim@ku.edu.

Dr. Bob Run participants stretch before participating in the 2011 event at Rim Rock Farm. The event benefits KU students who are studying sports management.