An Annual Tradition: 2024 811 5K Run/Walk Promotes Safe Digging in MN
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- Created: Wednesday, 11 September 2024 09:57
- Written by Courtney Ommen
The 2024 811 5K Run/Walk turned out to be a great success bringing Minnesotans together to raise awareness for safe digging. This year’s event was held on August 10, 2024, at Bde Maka Ska’s Thomas Beach in Minneapolis and included participants from the Twin Cities and the surrounding suburbs, a damage prevention-focused vendor fair, and the highly anticipated Kid’s Race.
The annual 811 5K celebrates “8-1-1 Day,” a day typically observed on or near August 11 (8/11), and calls attention to “8-1-1” – the national phone number used to submit free locate requests prior to breaking ground. Whether digging in the backyard or excavating at job site, it’s the law for Minnesotans to contact Gopher State One Call (GSOC) either by phone or by going to GopherStateOneCall.org before digging. These locate requests are used to notify local utility companies, which will then come out and use the APWA color code to mark the dig site for underground utilities with flags or spray paint.