Healthy Suffolk is gearing up for Suffolk’s Peanut Fest with a 5K and 1-Mile Fun Walk at Constant’s Wharf and Marina on Sept. 29.

“One thing I think that is very unique about our race is that it is very family friendly,” said Healthy Suffolk program manager Deborah Nadell. “This is not a high-pressure race, so it can be for someone experienced or new.”

Healthy Suffolk wants to encourage racers to bring their families, including their kids.

“We want to encourage people to bring their children, because children 12 and under are free,” Nadell said.

Having a family-friendly race is important for Healthy Suffolk, because one of their main missions is to help fight childhood obesity.

“One of our major missions is to fight childhood obesity,” Nadell said. “We do all sorts of things from gardening to nutrition. We try and get the word out to show people how they can have a healthier diet and keep moving.”

To make the family-friendly race even more inclusive, they are allowing everyone to bring their four-legged family.

“We want people to bring their dogs too,” Nadell said.

The races will have trophies for everyone, including children and the dogs.

“We awarded our first dog last year,” Nadell said.

The race is quickly filling up with racers, and Nadell believes the annual race will be even bigger this year. They already have 185 people registered.

This year’s race will be unique, because there is a family of more than 80 people who will be participating.

“Something different is happening this year, and someone called because they are having a family reunion and they asked if they could bring everyone,” Nadell said. “They have 80 family members, and they are gradually signing up.”

The race will be held at the Constant’s Wharf and Marina, and the route will start at the Hilton Garden Inn before taking participants through a downtown neighborhood and Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Registration will go on up until the morning of the race, and it will be $25 from Sept. 15 to Sept. 28. The price will rise on the day of to $30.

Registration and additional race information can be found at healthysuffolkva.org.