Community members are invited to start the year off active by joining together for a New Year’s Day run in downtown Lawrence.
Ad Astra Running’s eighth annual New Year’s Day Run will feature medallions for those who finish the run as well as light refreshments for all participants, according to the Facebook event page. All are welcome to join and travel at their own paces.
“We’ll have one mile and 5K options for all ages and paces – this event’s for everyone, soon-to-be-former-couch potatoes included,” according to the event page. “Lace up those shoes, toss Baby New Year in a jogging stroller, and come kick off 2023 with the community at Ad Astra Running.”
The free event is organized by “Running for the Hill of It,” a noncompetitive women’s running group. Ellen Young, a Lawrence runner and certified running coach, created Running for the Hill of It to encourage and support those who enjoy getting active, according to a KC Running Company article about Young.
To bring forth luck with a New Year holiday tradition, organizers will be handing out six-pence coins and serving black-eyed peas after the run, Ad Astra co-owner J. Jenkins said via email. Ad Astra will also hold a storewide sale throughout the day, so people are encouraged to come in and shop, according to the event page.
The run is scheduled for 9 a.m. on New Year’s Day, which is Sunday. To begin, everyone will meet at Ad Astra Running, 734 Massachusetts St. Routes will go through downtown streets as well as the Burroughs Creek Trail, which is part of the Lawrence Loop.
There is no fee or registration required to participate.
If our local journalism matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
Latest Lawrence news:
Ann Dean/Contributed Photo
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
