​Inaugural Englehardt 5K To End Sexual Assault To Step Off In Newtown

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — On Sunday, when the first annual Christine Englehardt Memorial 5K to End Sexual Assault steps off in Newtown Township, the spirit of Christine will be there embracing everyone with love.

Englehardt, who was sexually assaulted and murdered last year while vacationing in Florida, will be remembered not for her death, but for her beautiful life during an inaugural 5K Race organized in her memory.

The first annual Christine Englehardt Memorial 5K to End Sexual Assault will hit the ground running on Sunday, October 9 at Council Rock North High School beginning at 8 a.m. Participants will follow a route that will take them through a portion of neighboring Tyler State Park.

“Rain or shine, it’s going to be a beautiful day because we will be honoring Christine’s memory,” said Christine’s mother, Doreen, who is organizing the event with family and friends. “She’s going to be so happy looking down on us.”

The race will celebrate Christine's legacy as a runner, a beautiful human being and as a talented young woman while raising funds through Sharingwell and CreedSeed.org for the Network Of Victim Assistance (NOVA), a non-profit sexual assault and serious crime service organization. Also benefiting will be the Englehardt Family Fund and future sexual assault victims.

Christine, a 2014 Council Rock North graduate who worked at Jules Thin Crust and was studying at the Bucks County Community College to become an interpreter, was vacationing in Miami in 2021 when she was drugged, rapped, robbed and left to die by two perpetrators.

Last year, family and friends organized a walk in memory of Christine, which drew more than 100 participants very little publicity. “The walk was beautiful,” said Doreen.

From there they decided to organize a 5K Race to celebrate and honor Christine’s life, provide support to her family, empower other victims who are affected by sexual abuse, violence and trauma, and most importantly, eliminate future tragedies.

“I know she would be so happy we are doing this,” said Doreen, sharing that one of the highlights of Christine’s young life was participating in a half marathon in Philadelphia in March 2019.

“She loved to run,” said Doreen. “She ran many 5Ks. We would go to Disney every year when she was about 10 or 12 and they would have races. She would do a race every year until they stopped it. She just loved running.”

The ultimate goal, said Doreen, is to start a non-profit, putting Christine’s story into the world in hopes of touching other lives and empowering them to avoid future tragedies.

“She was bubbly and happy,” said her mom of Christine. “She always had a smile on her face. And she had the greatest laugh. She worked a lot at Jules Pizza. And she lived at home with her cat, Sydney.

“And Chris loved Spanish. She wanted to something like being an interpreter because she liked speaking it to people," said Doreen.

Christine had taken five years of Spanish and was moving into an advanced class at the Bucks County Community College when the tragedy occurred.

“She wanted to become a nurse but with COVID and everything and with working a lot, she thought she’d look into becoming an interpreter, maybe for a hospital,” said her mom.

Christine, the beloved daughter and only child of Thomas and Doreen Englehard, could light up a room with her infectious laugh and vibrant energy.

She was known for her love of exploring and her active lifestyle. And she could often be found sightseeing in her beloved city of Philadelphia in her free time or soaking up the sun at the Jersey
Shore.

As a Bucks County local she often trained along the nature trails at Tyler State Park. She also had a love for all things Disney, bringing back sweet childhood memories.

Christine enjoyed playing team sports including basketball and loved watching and cheering her
favorite local team – The Philadelphia Eagles. You could always find Christine listening to classic rock like the Rolling Stones.

She also loved spending time with friends and family, as well as her beloved cat. All who had the privilege of knowing Christine agree that she impacted so many in her short life, and will continue to do so for years to come.

To register for the race or for information on how to donate, become a sponsor or to volunteer, visit https://christineenglehardtmemorial5k.org