The first annual Russell Holloway Jr. 5K/10K Walk and Run, sponsored by the NAACP of Martin County, is ready to kick off at 7:00 AM on Saturday, October 16, 2021.
The race begins at the Russell Holloway Track at Guy Davis Field at Stuart’s 10th Street Rec Center. Runners and walkers will follow a course through historic Downtown and East Stuart, finishing back at the Rec Center for the awards festivities. All skills levels are welcome. Medals will be given in all age categories.
Mimi Fry, the volunteer coordinator of the Walk and Run, is looking forward to getting people across the community to come together in an outdoor activity. “The course is a real draw for walkers and runners,” says Fry. “It goes along a route that is different from the usual race routes in the area and will make for a fun event for participants and everyone who comes out to cheer them on.” Race organizers added a 10K to the event for runners who need timed races to qualify for upcoming half-marathons. Covid protocols will be in place for everyone’s safety.
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The event is named after Russell Holloway, Jr., a star athlete and state track champion from East Stuart. He returned to the area after his college successes and coached many of the area’s youth. Russell’s sister Betty Holloway, his brother Greg Holloway, and his niece Jackie McCready will be at the starting line to begin the race and walk. “We lost Russell to cancer when he was much too young,” says Jimmy Smith, President of the local chapter of the NAACP, “but his spirit lives on in our community. I went to school with him, and I know he was a super person. He was the personification of what a true athlete should be.”
Betty has fond memories of her brother. “Russell always wanted to run, even when he was teaching. He was so motivated to do hurdles that he joined the Florida Track Team. Thanks to the support of my mother, he even ran in the European games. He had his eyes set on the Olympics, but his competition was Carl Lewis, who won that year, “Betty recalls. “I’ll be proud to be there on the starting line in his honor.”
The NAACP of Martin County is a branch of the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights organization. “Our chapter is a uniter, not a divider,” Smith says. “We’re excited about this opportunity to bring the community together regardless of race or creed, do something healthy for ourselves, and honor one of our own who brought such honor to East Stuart.”
Runners and walkers can sign up in several ways: at www.runsignup.com, at www.fleetfeet.com, and on the Facebook page for the NAACP of Martin County. The fee is $35 for the 5K and $45 for the 10K through September 21, when fees will increase by $10.
Sponsors for the event include Seacoast Bank, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Martin County, Law Office of Robert J. Watson, LEIF Therapies, Otto’s Bread Club, Anchors Aweigh Counseling, Pinder’s Nursery, The Stuart Center for Couples and Families, The Lotus Room Organic Salon, The Porter Law Firm, McCarthy Summers Wood Norman Melby & Schultz PA, The Lewis Law Group, Fleet Feet, Firefly Public Relations & Marketing, and The Art Department.
