Runners in Hartford are preparing to take their mark in a 5k race hosted by The Urban League of Greater Hartford and the Hartford Marathon Foundation (HMF).
The 5th annual MOVE! 5K and Movement Festival is being held Saturday, July 18.
The event is centered around wellness and the importance of movement, health, and fitness, according to Josh Miller, President of the Hartford Marathon Foundation.
“Running, walking, and movement is booming right now across the nation and certainly in our backyard here in Hartford, in Connecticut, and we want to continue to support that,” Miller said. “We want to meet people where they are and support them along their journeys one step at a time.”
David Hopkins, President of the Urban League of Greater Hartford, emphasized that although the Urban League is not known for health initiatives, health is one of the five pillars of the organization.
The league believes the pillars which also include, education, employment, housing, and social justice, make a community economically strong.
Hopkins said he wanted to prioritize the health component of the league’s mission.
“The health piece people probably identify with us least about, but we hear people say, ‘health is wealth’ and things like that, and so for us, what this event does is bring the health component of our mission, of our five pillars, forward,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins once served as CEO of Primary Care Health Services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He says this introduced him to various aspects of the community that aren’t out in the forefront. Hopkins said many people don’t realize health and wellness can affect the other four pillars.
The 5k will take place at Harford’s historic Keney Park. Organizers say the swimming pool at the park will be open during the Movement Festival for the first time in the event’s history.
Hopkins and Miller both mentioned that the choice to hold the 5K at Keney Park was fully intentional.
“We wanted to make sure there was a community-based asset that we highlighted, you know, when you look across the spectrum of 5K’s, there are so many different places along the river,” Hopkins said. “So, for this one, outside of the Hartford Marathon, this is one that absolutely presents Hartford and one of its jewels.”
“The goal was to put this in A: a beautiful park and B: to invite anyone within the community to make it accessible and be part of it,” Miller said.
The festival will also include fitness demonstrations, health information, fresh produce, arts and crafts, live entertainment, community resources, and music by DJ Sammie Soca.
The Urban League Young Professionals will also host the YP Games, where registered teams will compete in a series of challenges.
Admission for the 5K and 1-Mile Run is $25 for anyone over the age of 12.
The 5K Road Race and a 1-Mile Run/Walk will begin at 9 a.m., followed by the free HMF FitKids Fun Run.
There will also be an award ceremony at 10:30 a.m., including the presentation of the Annual Exum Award, honoring former RTX executive and Urban League Board member Earl Exum and his family.
