Before the IndyCars roar, fans can run

Before the big engines roar in the Verizon IndyCar Series finale Sept. 18 at the Sonoma Raceway, fans and fitness enthusiasts have a chance to race under their own power in the inaugural GoPro Grand Prix 5K just hours before the 85-lap main event.

The GoPro Grand Prix 5K, which will take the green flag at 9 a.m., was developed to give race fans, runners and walkers a reason to get outdoors and enjoy the incredible landscape that surrounds the racetrack.

The course, which primarily utilizes fire roads around the facility, includes rolling hills with spectacular views of the valley, the bay and, of course, Sonoma Raceway.

Registration for the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma 5K is $49 and includes 5K entry fee, general admission ticket to the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma, parking pass, a commemorative 5K T-shirt and a limited-edition finisher medallion.

Advance registration is available online at www.sonomaraceway.com/5K. Registration increases to $55 on race day.

The Verizon IndyCar Series will conclude its season in the Sonoma Valley for the second consecutive year, Sept. 16-18. The 12-turn Sonoma Raceway road course served as a perfect setting for the conclusion of the 2015 season, as Target Chip Ganassi’s Scott Dixon claimed his second consecutive Sonoma victory and second Verizon IndyCar Series championship title in dramatic fashion.

Dixon ultimately won the title as the result of a tiebreaker based on season victories after Juan Pablo Montoya finished sixth in the double-points finale.