Red Bank 5K Classic Returns On Saturday After Two-Year Pause

RED BANK, N.J.—After a two-year pandemic pause, the Red Bank 5K Classic will return to downtown Red Bank on Saturday, June 18, kicking off at 8:30 a.m., on Monmouth Street at Drummond Place, organizers said.

Organized and hosted by the Red Bank Business Alliance and Red Bank RiverCenter with support from over 45 local businesses, the community event will include a fun run for children after the 5K, and a family-friendly block party on Monmouth Street open to all, according to a news release from the organizations.

A portion of event proceeds will benefit social-emotional programs to help local schoolchildren recover from the stresses of the pandemic and underwrite free swim lessons for Red Bank third graders at the Red Bank Family YMCA, the news release says.

The 5K is a USA Track and Field sanctioned race and certified course and will count as a USATF 2022 NJ Open Women’s Championship Race.

The Red Bank 5K Classic is one of the borough’s biggest outdoor events to make a comeback after COVID-19 halted large gatherings.

Local businesses pitching in to organize the 5K are excited to welcome runners and walkers to Red Bank, showcase the town’s wide variety of businesses, and raise funds for YMCA programs that benefit the health and well-being of borough youth in the wake of the pandemic.

Race schedule:

• Race warm-up: 8:15 a.m., hosted by Alpha Fit Club.
• National Anthem/remarks: 8:25 a.m.; Victoria Taylor Band / Mayor Pat Menna.
• 5K start time: 8:30 a.m.
• Block party begins: 8:45 a.m.
• Kids Run warm-up: 9:50 a.m., hosted by the Red Bank Family Y.
• Kids Fun Run: 10 a.m.
• Awards presentation: 10:15 a.m.
• Block party ends: noon.

The Red Bank Classic 5K is a collaborative effort between the Red Bank Business Alliance and Red Bank RiverCenter. The charity run/walk debuted June 2018 in downtown Red Bank, fueled by a group of passionate business owners and community volunteers.

In one year, the race grew from 1,000 runners to over 1,500 in 2019, making it one of the largest 5K races in Monmouth County. Sidelined by the coronavirus in 2020 and 2021, the event is back, scheduled for June 18, 2022. For more information, visit the race website.

The Red Bank Business Alliance (RBBA) is an alliance of Red Bank business owners founded with the purpose of enhancing the vibrancy of Red Bank as a destination for shopping, dining and entertainment.

Red Bank RiverCenter is a 501c3 non-for-profit organization established in 1991 by an alliance of local businesses, property owners, residents, and other stakeholders to enhance and promote Red Bank’s downtown district as a mid-Atlantic destination for dining, shopping, and culture. Red Bank RiverCenter helms the city’s Special Improvement District to support the Red Bank business community by recruiting new businesses to town and helping them navigate the various start-up procedures, marketing and promoting the Red Bank business district and implementing capital improvement projects and beautification programs throughout the town.