In a galaxy very, very near, dozens of runners, celebrities and intergalactic heroes and villains will join forces to raise $100,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation during the inaugural Course of the Force Star Wars relay to Comic-Con.
It will be hard to miss.
Starting Saturday at the Santa Monica Pier, relay racers—many dressed as Star Wars characters—will take turns running down the coast from Santa Monica to San Diego’s Comic-Con 2012 on Wednesday. Accompanied by a replica of Jabba the Hut’s sail barge, runners will head down the coast dressed as Darth Vader, Princess Leia and Jedi Knights.
“It is like an Olympic torch relay, but instead of a torch, we use a lightsaber,” said Course of the Force spokesman Adam Harris. “Our event is a Star Wars tribute to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It’s a lead-up to the convention—it’s the yellow brick road to Comic-Con.”
Each participant will run a quarter-mile and donate $500 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Participants include celebrities such as Glee’s Vanessa Lengies, Chuck’s Zachary Levi, Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum, ESPN’s Neil Everett and comedians Drew Carey and Chris Hardwick. There are still several openings in the relay, and participants can register online, added Harris.
“It will turn heads,” said Harris. “We’re not shutting down roads. We’ll be integrated with the traffic, but it will be hard to miss.”
At various legs of the race, the Course of the Force will stop running and start partying, with live music from Dan the Band (the band that plays in scenes from Old School and The Hangover), guest appearances, costumed characters and Star Wars and Comic-Con merchandise sales.
The relay will start at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Santa Monica Pier and head down Pacific Coast Highway until it hits the Redondo Beach Pier. Runners will take off from the Redondo Beach Pier on Sunday morning and continue down PCH. The relay ends Wednesday in San Diego. Click here for a complete schedule and route.
Conival (celebration) schedule
Day Time Location Saturday 10 a.m. Santa Monica Pier Sunday 4 p.m. (music at 8 p.m.) Huntington Beach Pier Wednesday (music at 1 p.m.) 4 p.m. Balboa Theatre, San Diego