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The race begins at 10 a.m. in Hartford and was capped at 15,000 runners. The race will be the largest one-day event in Connecticut, Race Director Beth Shulger said. The Hartford Marathon, which is run in the fall, attracts about 17,000 participants, but that figure includes an event children the day before the marathon. The Sandy Hook race will also include about 1,000 virtual runners.
Many of the participants will be from Fairfield County, Shulger said. Teams have already raised nearly $75,000 for the race, which will benefit the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. Donations to support teams can be made online.
“I am not surprised by the response we’ve gotten,’’ she said. “It’s more than just the running community. We have walkers, sponsors, people who will do anything to help. And the running community is a caring, giving constituency. It’s a wonderful opportunity for people to do something.”
The race had originally been scheduled to be run in Danbury. The overwhelming early response triggered the move to Hartford, which can accommodate many more runners.
“We did not want to keep out anybody that wanted to participate,’’ Shulger said. “Danbury could not accommodate more than 7,000. We would’ve left a lot of money on the table for the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. Hartford is the perfect venue. The city is able to accommodate the number of people we’re able to bring in and give them a good, safe environment.”
A kids race begins at 10 a.m., followed by the 5K at 10:30. Because of the large crowd, runners are asked to arrive by 8:30 a.m. Complete information about the race is available online.
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