Grab your running shoes! The New York Road Runners (NYRR) will host the Harlem 5K Run next weekend.
On Aug. 14, the Harlem 5K Run is expected to have 5,000 finishers. The run is taking place during the second week of Harlem Week, which is running from Aug.8-15 this year.
The race is taking place in partnership with the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and will also honor the life and contributions of Mayor David Dinkins, who served as the Mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993 and was the first African American to hold the position.
“In partnership with the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, New York Road Runners is looking forward to honoring the life and contributions of Mayor David Dinkins at our annual Harlem 5K Run and Walk,” said Ted Metellus, Vice President of Events for NYRR and Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon. “This annual event encapsulates the spirit and energy of Harlem, and this year’s event will serve as a truly memorable celebration for the thousands of runners and walkers participating.”
This event will mark the first in-person run for the NYRR Striders since the start of the pandemic with a 1.5 mile walk in Harlem. Following the adult run and walk, kids ages 2 to 11 can participate in short dashes as part of the Rising New York Road Runners at the Harlem 5K. For those who are unable to join in-person, the Virtual Harlem 5K Honoring Mayor David Dinkins Powered by Strava will run from August 7-15.
Among the participants in the Harlem 5K include graduates of this summer’s NYRR Run for the Future program, which is a free seven-week program for high school girls that introduces them to the benefits of running.
Additionally, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce will name the section of the marathon course that runs through Harlem the Percy Sutton Harlem Miles to mark the 50th running of the NYC Marathon. Sutton, who was the city’s longest-serving Manhattan Borough President and co-founder of Harlem Week, used to stand on 135th Street during the marathon and cheered on runners as they passed by. Today, the Percy Sutton Harlem Miles is typically a large entertainment zone with music and gospel singers.
“As Manhattan Borough President, it was Percy Sutton’s idea to take the New York City race out of Central Park and run it through all five boroughs of New York City, thereby making it the world’s first marathon to traverse a city,” said Sutton’s granddaughter, Keisha Sutton-James. “Each year, the stretch of Fifth Avenue from the Madison Avenue Bridge down through Harlem was the biggest party with the most energizing music and the liveliest crowd. Renaming this same stretch after Percy Sutton is a wonderful way to honor not only his legacy in Harlem, but his role in creating an iconic world event.”
To register for the 5K, visit nyrr.org.
