BATON ROUGE – Area runners will lace up their shoes and begin their Fourth of July holiday with a morning run as they compete in the 25th annual BASF Freedom Mile.

The Freedom Mile has been a summer staple for area runners since it was first held in 1984. The event is organized by Club South Runners of Baton Rouge.

The race includes four separate runs, each one mile long, that begin at Casino Rouge and follow River Road to the finish line at the U.S.S. Kidd Veterans Memorial. There is also a half-mile fun run for parents and children.

“The Freedom Mile has been a great Independence Day tradition now for a quarter century,” said Mike Cohen, Senior Vice President and General Manager of BASF’s Geismar site. “BASF is proud to support this popular patriotic event.”

Runners will be divided into the following race times and categories:

• 8 a.m. – Masters and Grandmasters, male/female

• 8:20 a.m. – Youth (14 and under), male/female

• 8:40 a.m. – Open division, women

• 9:00 a.m. – Open division, men

• 9:20 a.m. – Parent-child half-mile fun run

First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in a range of categories. Race day registration begins at 7 a.m. in front of the Old State Capitol and is $15 for all runners. Food and beverages will be provided after the race.

BASF’s Geismar site manufactures a wide range of products that are used in hundreds of consumer products.