It’s a New Year’s tradition in D.C., but this time with a new home.
If you’re the kind of person who always talks about getting into shape for the new year, the Fresh Start 5K race might be the catalyst for keeping that promise.
For the 12th year in a row, thousands of runners are expected to participate in the event. Instead of taking place Downtown like in years past, it’s happening in the Navy Yard neighborhood, with runners crossing over the Frederick Douglass Bridge.
“It starts on the bridge and it ends on the bridge,” said Thennie Freeman, the director of D.C.’s Department of Parks and Recreation. “We’ll make a loop and go enter into Anacostia Park, and then we’ll come out of Anacostia Park and end on the bridge. But of course, we’ll have festivities along the way.”
The 5K is less about being a serious, competitive race and more about being a fitness event.
Before the 11 a.m. 5K, there’s a kid’s dash. And the festivities will last into the afternoon. Though again, fitness is still the main focus here.
“It’s going to be a party,” Freeman said. “A good way to start your New Year’s with some friends, some neighbors, and to kind of set some goals and to reset.”
“We all have fitness goals. … There’s not a person I know that doesn’t have a fitness goal,” she added. “Sometimes you just have to be in the space to kind of [say] ‘OK, I really can do this.’ And the beauty of the fresh off 5K is you really can do it. If you want to be timed, you can. If you want to leisurely stroll, you can.”
You can register for free online. Freeman said about 6,000 people are signed up right now, but there’s no cap on the number of people who can participate.