University News

Ready, Set, Sign Up! Community Bridges 5K is Back

August 21, 2023 • By Alice Berry, aberry@virginia.edu Alice Berry, aberry@virginia.edu

The race’s organizers say the 5K is designed to bring all members of the community together. (Photo by Sanjay Suchak, University Communications)

Are you on your mark? Registration is open now for the Community Bridges 5K walk/run. University of Virginia President Jim Ryan first organized the 5K in 2018 to help build bridges between the University and the surrounding community, as part of UVA’s commitment to being a good neighbor.

“This is a chance to celebrate the relationship between the University and its neighbors,” said Mark Lorenzoni of the Ragged Mountain Running Shop on the Corner. Lorenzoni is one of the event’s organizers and Ryan’s longtime running coach.

Ryan will host and participate in the Sept. 23 5K, which will move through Charlottesville beginning at 7:45 a.m.

Anyone interested in running – or walking – for charity can sign up here. People who register early will pay a $25 fee. Signing up later means you’ll have a slightly higher registration fee, with the cost increasing to $30 on Sept. 16 and $40 on Sept. 22. The fees help raise money for local organizations.

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Students and anyone under 25 can receive a discount. Scholarships are available, too. Email uvaome@virginia.edu for information. Participants receive a free commemorative T-shirt.

Participants can run solo or in teams. UVA students, faculty and staff members can create teams for student dorms, organizations, schools, club sports teams, departments and more. Local organizations, businesses and charities are also encouraged to create teams.

Ryan is an avid runner and passionate about service to others, so it’s no surprise that he would marry the two.

“This run is a great way to bring UVA students, faculty and staff together with the local community in service to area nonprofits, and I’m grateful to the event organizers and the Charlottesville Track Club for their partnership,” Ryan said. “It’s a fun way to connect with one another and with our friends and neighbors in Charlottesville, and I’m looking forward to a strong turnout this year.”

The first Community Bridges 5K was held in 2018 as part of the University’s celebration of Ryan’s inauguration. Two former UVA track stars and Olympians, Paul Ereng and Margaret Groos, joined him as the race’s honorary starters. Thousands of people from across UVA and the surrounding community participated. In its first two years, the event raised money for organizations like the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville and the Piedmont Housing Alliance, among others.

The event reaffirms Ryan’s desire to bridge the gap between the University and surrounding communities.

“We want to be consistent partners,” Lorenzoni said.

This year’s 5K begins in front the Jefferson School City Center. The course, which is about three miles long, passes through the Venable and Westhaven neighborhoods and over multiple bridges, adding a layer of meaning to the race’s name. The run/walk finishes back at the Jefferson School City Center, where there will be an awards presentation after the event.

Community Bridges is for everyone, Lorenzoni said, regardless of how many races they’ve run. The course is designed to be “user-friendly,” so runners, walkers and families with young kids can all take part.

“If you’ve been wanting to dip your toe into an event like this, we want you to come out,” Lorenzoni said.