BY DR. KANIKA TOMALIN | President & CEO, Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg
ST. PETERSBURG — When we think about our health and all the factors that shape it, access for emergencies and preventative care quickly comes to mind. Our health, however, begins much closer to home – in the neighborhoods in which we live, the relationships that support us, even the people we greet on our sidewalks and speak with every day.
Research shows that up to 80% of the health outcomes we experience over the course of our lives are shaped by the social and environmental conditions we experience every day. The ways we live, learn, work, pray, and play add up and define the ways we heal, hurt, grow and thrive years later. And, the way those things unfold is not a simple reflection of individual life choices. It actually reflects the many complex ways systems well serve or fail us and the communities to which we belong. These factors are at the heart of South St. Petersburg’s upcoming We Run These Streets 5K.
We Run These Streets is 5k community run/walk for all ages and abilities that the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg is hosting on October 4th. We invite our entire South St. Pete community to join us in this first-of-its-kind gathering.
Whether you’re a regular walker or runner or just starting out, we would love to share this day with you. You can stroll with your friends, stopping along the route to enjoy live music and entertainment, or push for a personal record with all the speed you possess.
It’s your race at your pace. We just want you to be a part of it, however you choose to show up.
Offering a community race is new for us. Here’s the secret about We Run These Streets, however: it’s not really about the race itself.
Rather, We Run These Streets is about building community and connection. It’s about sparking pride in our local neighborhoods that have raised generations of residents and joining together to celebrate the community assets and camaraderie that enrich our lives.
It’s not just about movement; it is a movement – of people, working together, to make our community a healthier, stronger, and more equitable place for everyone who calls it home.
Our health isn’t determined by our genes or medical care alone. It’s not a foregone conclusion. It’s a constant work in progress, shaped by factors all around us, all the time – factors we can collectively work to change through everyday acts such showing up, building community, celebrating our neighborhoods, and more.
The research is clear. The stronger our relationships, the better our health. The more welcome, safe, and included we feel in our neighborhoods, the better our outcomes. Walking or running together for one day is not a cure-all. It is, however, a step. And that’s how change starts – one step at a time.
What to Know, How to Go:
We Run These Streets starts at 8 AM on Saturday, October 4. While there is a $20 fee to participate, waivers are available for anyone who needs them. Email Foundation Impact Manager Joshua Bean at 5K@healthystpete.foundation or call 727-865-4650 for a fee waiver code or help registering.
The race will begin on 26th Avenue S, wind its way through the mangrove-lined Skyway and Clam Bayou trails before crossing into the Child’s Park neighborhood and turning around at the Child’s Park Recreation Center before heading back to the Foundation.
All race participants will earn a 5K medallion and ribbon. A race village will include snacks and drinks. Refreshment will also be available, along with live music along the route.
If walking and running aren’t for you, there are other ways to get involved. We need cheerleaders to line the route and keep participants motivated, and we need volunteers to help hand out water and more.
If you or your organization would like to get involved, please reach out to Joshua Bean at 5K@healthystpete.foundation. Visit healthystpete.foundation/5K for details on registration and participation.
We hope to see you there!
