Right Around the River Blog
Boxer Battle Brief 5k a Huge Success
Post Date: 06-17-2013
On Saturday, June 8, nearly 500 people came out to Rocketts Landing to race in RVA's first ever Boxer Brief Battle 5k. And based on the amazing camaraderie and participant turnout we saw during the race, it seems everyone had a wonderful time running for a cause!
Organized by local nonprofit Hitting Cancer Below the Belt, the Boxer Brief 5k brings the community together to raise funds for colon cancer research, preventative care and advocacy -- with a goal to help eradicate the second-leading cause of cancer death in men and women (behind lung cancer).
As a fundraiser, the event was profoundly successful! Participants raised $40,000 to benefit the American Cancer Research and “Access Now,” which was at least $10,000 more than the event’s goal.
“The Richmond community embraced the event, so my original vision was shared with many other Richmonders,” explains Hitting Cancer Below the Belt Founder Mindy Conklin. “ I enjoyed watching the participants and volunteers smile and laugh throughout the entire duration of the event — even through the rain. Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves.”
Henrico County–resident Kate Gardner won the race, finishing the 5k in only 18:53. In fact, 65% of the 477 registered runners were female, which made Conklin happy to see so many women participating. Other event highlights included meeting colon cancer survivors, as well as having Nutzy the Flying Squirrel onsite giving high-fives to racers as they crossed the finish line. And because you can’t have a boxer brief race without some zany attire, creative outfits and costumes certainly brought great character to the event.
Overall, we were thrilled to see so much community support for the newest Rocketts Landing event — and such successful fundraising for an important cause. If you’d like to learn more about the Boxer Brief Battle 5k or ways you can get involved, be sure to check out the Hitting Cancer Below the Belt website. We look forward to next year’s race!
