Runners in the 2019 Monument Avenue 10K (Photo by Jay Paul)
The Monument Avenue 10K and the Richmond Marathon will be held on different courses over several days this year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 10K, previously rescheduled from March to late September, will be a virtual event that will take place Sept. 25-27. Participants can complete the Richmond Marathon, the Richmond Half Marathon and the Allianz Partners 8K as virtual events, anytime from Nov. 7-22.
Four courses have been posted for 10K for participants to run at their leisure, though none will be on Monument Avenue. Runners and walkers will use the RaceJoy App to track their race times. Megan Schultz, chief operating officer for Sports Backers, the nonprofit that manages the events and promotes wellness and fitness in metro Richmond, said in a press release that the organization decided to open four courses over three days to avoid closing down Monument Avenue for a week to accommodate social distancing.
Routes for the 10K will be marked and will be in Byrd Park, Deep Run Park, Dorey Park and Henricus Historical Park. If registered participants cannot make it to a marked course, they can run their own 6.2-mile course.
Race packets for the 10K can be mailed for free or picked up Sept. 24 or 25 at an outdoor expo in the parking lot of The Diamond stadium on Arthur Ashe Boulevard.
"We will be encouraging participants to wear a Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K shirt, put on their 10K number bib, dress up in a costume, support other participants on social media and bring their energy like they have always done in the past,” Meghan Keogh, the race director, says in a press release.
The courses are out-and-back routes. Signs will alert motorists to watch for runners.
Registrations are now open for the races. The 10K costs $45 for adults and $35 for children 14 and younger on race day. The mile-long Virginia529 Kids Run costs $25. The marathon costs $85, the half marathon costs $75, and the 8K costs $30.
Marathon, half marathon and 8K courses begin and end at Dorey Park in Varina. The courses start at the park’s trail connector and then continue onto the Virginia Capital Trail. The trail offers runners a course free of traffic with restrooms and water refill stations along the way. The courses will be open between 5 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 7-22. The RaceJoy app will be used to track these races as well. Runners may also choose to run their own course.
Runners who prefer the traditional in-person event to a virtual competition may defer registration for any race to 2021 or choose to receive a credit for another Sports Backers race.
