The Utica Roadrunners are organizing a 'Run Against Racism' that's all about supporting Black-owned businesses and raising awareness.

The 'Run Against Racism' kicks off on July 16th - 18th, and continues through August 2nd. Unlike regular road races, the route can be run or walked, and can be done as a whole, or just in part.

"The Utica Roadrunners have created a route throughout the heart of Utica for members and friends to run/walk at their leisure as a way to jointly take a stand against racism and injustice. Along the route, participants will learn about different places, people and events that celebrate the rich history and contributions of Utica’s black community through temporary historic signage that will remain up for the month of July."

While paying homage to our local black community, the route was also created to celebrate the black lives recently lost throughout the country.

  • The route is approximately 8.5 miles long to honor the life of George Floyd, reflecting the length of time a police officer in Minneapolis had his knee on his neck
  • There are 27 stops in total to honor the life of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in Kentucky right before her 27th birthday
  • UR encourages people to run the route on Sundays, to honor Ahmaud Arbery who was killed on Sunday, February 23 while running in Georgia

The event is free to participants, but donations are welcome and will be used to support black-owned businesses in Utica. You can sign up to participate, and download the course map and directions HERE.

Credit: Utica Roadrunners
Credit: Utica Roadrunners
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