Sponsored by Black Belt World and the Knightdale Police Department, the race will help build schools in the Dominican Republic, the latest project of the International Coalition for Good Health and Good Friends. The organization is nonprofit organized by Black Belt USA owner June Lee and his fellow martial arts instructors worldwide.

Most recently the organization built school classrooms in India and Ghana.

Runners and walkers got an early start and met at the Pagoda at Black Belt World for regisration at 7 a.m. The 5K race and one-mile walk started an hour later.

Lee and the kids at Black Belt world who volunteer to work the Knight's Run hope it becomes a signature Knightdale event, said Phuong Do, program director for the west Raleigh location of Black Belt World. The headquarters of the martial arts schools which has five locations in the Triangle is in Knightdale.

The intent is to stir community spirit towards altruism. And that's just what has happened.

"The money goes for a good cause," said Sgt. Chris Darden of the Knightdale Police Department. Darden helped plan the race route with Lee. "The police department is willing to help out as much as possible for any event that goes for a good cause."

Last year about 300 people came out to walk or run. Rain didn't hurt the numbers this year, as about 290 people were at the starting lineup.

Darden said the route started in the Food Lion parking lot off Knightdale Boulevard and proceeded to the lower entrance to Smithfield Road, right on Forestville Road. It continued to the left on Old Knight Road, through the drive at Knightdale High School to exit on Horton Road, then left onto Forestville Road, and back to Smithfield to the parking lot. The walk started on Smithfield to Edinburg's Keep and back.

The police department provided traffic patrol for the race and saw that runners got through the course safely, said Darden. It also included two of their own - Officer Mark Beatty and Megan Brown, the wife of Public Safety Director Shawn Brown.

For those who came out to watch there were carnival games well as a pot luck lunch for students who worked the race.

"We want to make sure it's memorable for the town of Knightdale," said Do. "We want to make sure the community comes together."