Run Against Racism

Watch for info on the 2024 Run Against Racism coming soon!

Sign up here: https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Utica/TheURRunAgainstRacism

We are excited to for our second year of going LIVE with the 4th Annual Run Against Racism run/walk to celebrate the Cornhill Community and promote unity. Relationship building, openness and appreciation of the communities around us can lead to understanding and help combat racism.

Bring family, friends and colleagues and let’s spend the morning together!

When:

Saturday, June 17th, 2022

Shirt/Bib Pick-up and Runner Check-in: 7:30-8:30am

Kids run (1/4 mile): 8:30am start (From the corner of Steuben and James Streets back to Kemble Park. Parents can run with kids).

Run/Walk: 9:00am start

Where:

Check-in and pick-up will be in Kemble Park near the Black Lives Matter mural.

The course will start at the intersection of Kemble and James Streets, turn left at West Street to Johnson Park where walkers and runners will follow the circle and continue on the course in reverse back to Kemble Park. Participants can do one loop (1.5 miles) or two loops (3 miles).

How to sign up:

Sign up here: https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Utica/TheURRunAgainstRacism

The run is FREE and the first 100 participants (signed up by 6/3)  are guaranteed a shirt (supplies beyond that may be limited), however you are invited to donate.

What your donation will do!

This year's donations will benefit Johnson Park Center’s Youth Center and their summer activities and efforts!

*The Mid-Utica Neighborhood Preservation Corporation’s Juneteenth Celebration takes place from 12-8pm across town at Chancellor Park. Join us there to keep the celebration going!

History of the Run Against Racism:

Education, relationship building, openness and exploration of the communities around us can lead to understanding and to combat racism. During the pandemic, the Utica Roadrunners 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 were able to learn about different places, people and events that celebrate the rich history and contributions of Utica’s black community through temporary historic signage. The route took participants through parts of Cornhill, the Parkway District, East Utica, the Broad Street Corridor, Historic Bagg’s Square, Downtown, and the Oneida Square Arts District. While running/walking, we encouraged participants to have meaningful conversations about race or discussions about recent events ... or if they prefered, to run/walk solo in personal reflection or listen to a podcast or audio book. We also hoped they would take in the beauty of our city as they explored places they may not have noticed or visited before. While paying homage to our local Black community, the route was also created to celebrate the Black lives lost throughout the country.

We ran in remembrance of them:

• The route was 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 were 27 stops in total to honor the life of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in Kentucky right before her 27th birthday
• UR encouraged people to run the route on Sundays, to honor Ahmaud Arbery who was killed on Sunday, February 23, 2020 while running in Georgia