By Aria Brent
AFRO Staff Writer
abrent@afro.com
The 2024 Baltimore Running Festival returned on Oct.19 with over 12,000 participants taking to the streets of Charm City for the annual race. The event featured a variety of races, including a marathon, a half-marathon, a 10K and 5K, along with the challenging “BaltiMORON-a-Thon,” where participants ran both the 5K and half-marathon on the same day.
Runners participated with different goals as their motivation to finish the race. Some ran on behalf of non-profit organizations, with hopes of raising awareness for a greater cause. Meanwhile other races were running with personal fitness or health goals in mind.
“Black people, we are number one in those health disparity categories and because of this my motivation to keep moving is not wanting to become a statistic,” said Demetri Garner, a senior research associate for Medstar Health Research Institute. “I want to help educate someone else and let them know that it is possible to be Black and be active. As a Black man, the motivation is in any kind of movement.”
Garner ran in this year’s 5k portion of the race as a way of staying fit, but also on behalf of Helping Up Mission, a local nonprofit organization focused on providing hope to people experiencing homelessness, poverty or addiction. The organization works to meet the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of those who seek help. The veteran runner noted that seeing fellow Black runners at the event is always encouraging and it helps break the stigma regarding Black people’s participation in these sorts of events.
“This is the opportunity to have representation and to break the stigma in our own community that we don’t participate in these events,” he said. “When we are represented in those spaces, we become further included in the benefits of being active. These societies can spill over into our community as well. Those connections, those partnerships with different nonprofits, the education for our communities– those barriers become less existent when we are represented in those spaces.”
The challenge of the race seemed to be another motivating factor for some of this year’s participants. Months of dietary changes, weight training and mental discipline helped runners like Dr. Karsonya “Dr.Kaye” Wise Whitehead, spoke with the AFRO about her intense training process leading up to the big race.
“I have been working with my coach over this half year and we wanted to try it one more time. We wanted to see if we could be faster than we were two years ago, ” she said. “I’ve been weight training and working with a nutritionist for the last two years but I committed to training for this race since April of this year.”
Whitehead shared similar sentiments to Garner in regards to health being wealth. She noted that having Black representation at these events is vital, as it serves as an example of healthy living for Black youth and the community at large. Additionally, she explained that committing to a healthy lifestyle can be done in little steps.
“We need to be able to see ourselves in these spaces so we can see that these things are important and possible,” she said “We have to have an extra commitment to being healthy because of how we’re disproportionately affected by diabetes, high blood pressure, lund and cardiovascular diseases. Being committed to your health isn’t hitting a trainer or eating only organic food but simple choices like choosing to bake as opposed to frying.”
Runners from all across the D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area enjoyed a race course that put a spotlight on the City of Baltimore’s iconic spaces, including the Inner Harbor, historic Federal Hill, and Fells Point. The marathon route even went through the Maryland Zoo, adding a unique touch to the race.
The full course offered a mix of flat terrain and steeper paths, which helped attract both casual runners and those looking to compete in more notably intense races like the Boston Marathon. In addition to the in-person races, virtual race options allowed runners from other regions to participate, ensuring that the Baltimore Running Festival’s spirit could be felt beyond the city limits.
This year’s first place winner for the overall marathon was 30-year-old Willy Fink of Gaithersburg, Md. He finished the long-haul in two hours and 21 minutes. He was then followed by second and third place winners, 37-year-old Alexander Loper of Abingdon, Md., and 28-year-old, Louie Levine of Arlington, Va.
The post Baltimore Running Festival returns for 24th year appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
