Once again, the L.L. Bean 4th of July 10k is going to give away free running shoes to registered runners.

LL Bean 4th of July 10k LogoThe first 400 runners will receive a pair of New Balance 1063 running shoes, their premium neutral-cushioning training shoe. It retails for $125, so if this is a shoe that you can wear then it is a great deal for the $18 race registration fee. In order to get the shoes you must arrive on race day to pick up your packet. Along with the shoes, the first 700 runners will receive a technical race shirt.

Registration opens on Tuesday, March 24th at 8:00 a.m. EDT. The first 400 to register for the run before May 14th will receive the shoes. They will then have a treat of a course through Freeport on the Fourth of July.

This is the second year that L.L. Bean has offered free shoes and last year there were a lot of happy runners. This year, they have a spiffy new website for the race, which has all of the information that you’ll need if you are interested in running: http://www.llbeanroadrace.com/

If you are going to be in Maine this Summer then I’d definitely recommend this race; it’s well run, there is a fun 1-mile run for the kids afterwards, and they give out a lot of awards that are actually worth using. Last year, I won a duffel bag.