Dog Days History

The first Ichauway Dog Days: Race for the Pie 5K was held in 2008.

It began as a wild idea between a few running enthusiasts who wanted to create a fun run as a way to bring the Ichauway community together.

It would be held during one of the hottest days of summer, so it was called the Ichauway Dog Days 5k.

Why did they decide to race for pies?

Well, why not?

The name, the punishing time of year, and the sweet sweet pie rewards all stuck. A tradition had been born.

Every year since, folks from Ichauway have invited friends and family and come together early on a summer Saturday morning to run, jog, walk, and slog their way down sandy roads, through the humidity and heat, past open piney woods, to a finish line 5 kilometers away.

The event has turned into a real community effort. Usually a crew from Education or Research organizes the event, folks in Conservation make sure the roads are graded before race day, Security turns out to make sure everyone's staying cool, and Admin chips in to make sure we always have post-race refreshments!

More recently, Dog Days has occasionally served as a fundraising event in years of need. We have raised money for folks in the Ichauway family who faced unimaginable medical challenges, for Ichauway's "Ichaustray fund" which offsets initial veterinary fees for stray pets found on Ichauway, and now, in a year full of devastating news, we hope this year's Dog Days Challenge can make a difference for families in need across Southwest Georgia.