Sandy Hook 5K to be Held March 28, Registration Opens Jan. 18

The organizers of The Sandy Hook 5K are proud to announce the third annual race to honor the memories of the victims and support those affected by the tragic events of December 14, 2012 in Newtown/Sandy Hook. The race will take place on Saturday, March 28, 2015 on the campus of Fairfield Hills in Newtown, Conn. beginning at 8:15 a.m. with staggered kid fun runs and 9:00 a.m. for the 5K. Online registration will open on Sunday, January 18, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. on the official race website, www.5krunforshf.org.

This year’s 5K race will accommodate up to 1,500 runners/walkers. There will be no lottery for participation in the race. Participants will be registered on a first come, first served basis. Like last year, there is the option of joining us as a Virtual Runner as well as registering children for staggered fun runs. The run for children ages 2-6 is a quarter mile; for those ages 7 and up, it is a half mile. Total spots available for both kid runs is 250, also on a first come, first served basis.

The registration fee for the 5K is $26, $6 for the kid runs and $20 for the virtual runners. A sign up fee of $2.50 is not included in aforementioned prices.

“The race theme remains ‘Love Runs Through,’” said Race Co-Director Katie Blake. “Love runs through everything being done to prepare for this event, and through every step we take to reach our goals. Our goal here is to bring participants a world-class, one-of-a-kind family event filled with love. Whether you are running with us in Newtown, volunteering, fundraising, or running with us virtually…love runs through.”

“After last year’s successful event in Newtown, we are thrilled and honored to have the race back to the same venue with approval for more runners,” said Race Co-Director Julie Brunelle. “The feedback from last year was overwhelmingly positive and we are honored to be able to bring this feeling of goodwill and community to more people.”

Once again, the Newtown Memorial Fund has offered to collect and process all donations. Proceeds from the Sandy Hook 5K will be donated to the Collaborative Recovery Fund administered by the Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation which pays the out of pocket mental health expenses for those eligible who have been most impacted by the 12-14-12 tragedy. A percent of the proceeds will go directly to the chosen nonprofit organizations of the 26 families who lost loved ones.

To learn about opportunities to volunteer at the 5K, please email volunteersh5k@gmail.com. To learn about sponsorship opportunities, please email sponsorsh5k@gmail.com. Questions regarding registration may be addressed to Kristin from the YMCA Racing Collaborative at races@waterburyymca.org.

For more information, please visit www.5krunforshf.org.