The 30th Annual 'Running of the Potato's' to Benefit Bridgehampton Child Care Center is on the mark, ready, set to go on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, May 25th. This year's event marks the thirty year milestone of the popular 5k race.

Potatohampton takes place along the back roads in Bridgehampton and is a wonderful kick off to everyone's active summer season in the Hamptons. The gun sounds to start the race at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, May 25th on Ocean Road, Bridgehampton just 50 yards down from the Monument on the Highway. Potatohampton ends one hour later when the last determined racers cross the finish line.

The Dan's Papers Potatohampton 5K is the oldest, continuously held, running event on Long Island. It pre-dates the Long Island Marathon, as well as the Shelter Island 10K. While more intimate than those races Potatohampton continues to be a very competitive and professionally run event.

The Potatohampton race developed from a time when the New York City Marathon consisted of under a dozen people trying to run 26 miles through traffic. Back then your average person considered exercising to be pushing a manual lawn mower, digging potatoes in the fields or maybe lifting weights sold by Charles Atlas. Running along the road for fun or exercise, that was for fanatics, the phenomenon of jogging as we now know it was only just beginning to take hold. The Dan's Papers Potatohampton was started for those few existing fanatics. The idea was to show them how beautiful the farmland and surrounding area was in Bridgehampton. It was easy to have them run through these fields along the narrow farm roads and admire the scenery, the potato fields, and the Berwind Windmill. Now, everyone knows of the beauty of the Hamptons and almost everyone runs or jogs and Potatohampton gives them all a chance to see and feel the beauty of Bridgehampton up close while doing something they love, competing in a professionally run race.

This year, as so often in the past, the race beneficiary is The Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, a 12 acre farm on the Bridgehampton Sag Harbor Turnpike converted to a playground, classroom and athletic facility for children. The Center's principal goal is to provide comprehensive, family support services to empower and strengthen the underserved and lower income population of the Southampton Town as well as any others in need and able to travel to the premises. The Child Care Center also provides quality, comprehensive services for people of all ages, from early childhood through adulthood, and is an advocate for the needs of all who seek their assistance. The Center provides the following services: full time, full-day preschool, after school program, summer camp, tutorial program, career and college counseling, enrichment and recreational activities.

The Dan's Papers Potatohampton awards trophies and ribbons in nine categories, including ages 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69,70-79, 80+ and Walkers, following the last participant crossing the finish line. The first 400 entrants receive a free t-shirt. Final Registration will be held under a tent at Bridgehampton's Militia Green on Ocean Road 30 yards south of Montauk Highway from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. for anyone deciding at the last minute on Sunday morning. Individual results for each participant will be posted at Dan's Papers for two weeks following the event, and will be available for viewing on Dan's Hamptons