Sports
The Rockland Road Runners will hold 24th Annual Women’s Distance Festival Saturday, July 9th
Proceeds of 5K race at Rockland Lake State Park will support Rockland Family Shelter.
The Rockland Road Runners hold their 24th Annual Women’s Distance Festival (WDF) this Saturday, July 9th. Women between 12 and 90 years old can get a workout and support a worthy cause at the same time. Proceeds will benefit the Rockland Family Shelter, a nonprofit organization devoted to women, children and youth in situations of domestic violence and/or sexual trauma.
The day begins with a a free Children’s Fun Run at 7:30 a.m and the 5K (3.1 mile) run at 8 a.m. Women are invited to run or walk the 5K; walkers will begin 5 minutes after the race start. The course is a flat loop at Rockland Lake along the water and is TAC certified, meaning that the course distance has been officially confirmed.
Shannon Kay, a senior at Clarkstown North High School, says, “The women’s distance event is a family event for me. This year is my fourth year participating. I originally ran with my mom and aunt, but every year a few more of us join.
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Kay says her family participation and enthusiasm increases each year.
Now it’s me, my mom, my three aunts, three of my cousins, and even my grandma," says Kay. "It’s a great event!”
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To participate, register for the 5K on race day for $25. Check-in will begin at 6:30 a.m. and will end at 7:15 a.m. for the Kids‘ Fun Run and at 7:45 a.m. for the 5K. The women with the top three times overall will be awarded, as will the top three in each age group.
“This is a joyous event celebrating a combination of women’s strength, women’s spirit and especially women’s compassion” says Race Director Larry Wolf.
For more information, contact Wolf at 845-634-1800, or at larrywolf@optonline.net, or Lea Carnevali of the Rockland family Shelter at 845-634-3391. More information can also be found at the race website. Rockland Lake State Park is at 299 Rockland Lake Rd in Valley Cottage, off Route 9W.
The shelter’s services include a 24-hour hotline, an emergency shelter, and several community programs, many of which are multilingual and culture-sensitive. Thus far, the Rockland Road Runners have raised over $70,000 for these services.
The first Women’s Distance Festival was in 1988 and it is still the only race hosting events for women only.
