On your mark… get set… go! Thousands of runners and walkers of all skill levels will participate in the annual Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run, a race that celebrates all that is Harlem, this Saturday, Aug. 10.
The race, which is one of the main events taking place during Harlem Week (which is actually a 2.5-week affair), is produced by the New York Road Runners (NYRR) and attracts runners and walkers from New York, the country and around the world.
As NYRR’s biggest event in the historic neighborhood, approximately 5,000 runners of all ages and abilities are expected to participate in the race this year.
A good chunk of the route is centered around the perimeter of St. Nicholas Park. It starts at 8 a.m. at Edgecombe Avenue at West 135 Street. Runners then head north along St. Nicholas Avenue to W. 155 Street before turning around, heading south to Convent Avenue and then W. 127 Street where they will then return north and finish at St. Nicholas Avenue and W. 138 St.
Registration is sold out, but spectators can still cheer on the participants along the route and as they cross the finish line.
Registration is still open for the free kids races for ages 2 to 18. Part of the NYRR’s Rising New York Road Runners program, a free youth running program, the kids races are shorter, non-competitive and age-appropriate dashes.
About Percy Sutton, a civil rights leader
In addition to honoring Harlem, the 5K commemorates Percy Sutton, a prominent Black political, social, cultural, and business leader who championed the first five-borough New York City Marathon in 1976 and founded Harlem Day in 1974.
A prominent leader in Harlem politics, Sutton had a goal for Harlem Day. He wanted it to revitalize the greater Harlem community and lift the spirits of residents who were suffering disproportionately from the most severe economic depression that NYC and the nation had faced in generations.
That first Harlem day was a success. It was put together by Blackfrica Promotions, a Harlem-based Arts and Cultural organizations, with key members being Joseph Roberts, Voza Rivers, Marvin Kelly, Larry Frazier, Tony Rogers, Stephanie Francis, and led by Lloyd Williams, who is the current president of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce.
Since that day 50 years ago, Harlem Day grew year after year to what is now Harlem Week, packed with entertainment, conferences, cultural events and activities for all to enjoy. .
A World War ll veteran and activist in the civil rights movement, Sutton also served as borough president of Manhattan from 1966 to 1977. He died in 2009 at age 89.
For more information about Harlem Week and this weekend’s 5K, visit harlemweek.com.
