Run Richmond 16.19 returning in September

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Run Richmond 16.19 is returning on Sept. 30 for its second year to celebrate more than 400 years of Black History.

The cultural running event, hosted by actor and humanitarian Djimon Hounsou’s foundation, will feature 16.19 and 6.19 kilometer running and walking courses and a finish line festival. The length of the race is meant to represent 1619, the year that British Colonies in North America joined the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

The courses will start and finish in Kanawha Plaza and include culturally significant spots like Shockoe Bottom, Church Hill, Jackson Ward and the Capitol District. Rocketts Landing and Ancarrow’s Landing, two places where African Americans first stepped foot on American soil, will also be on the route.

The Djimon Hounsou Foundation works to strengthen Africa’s intergenerational identity and combat modern-day slavery. The foundation is partnering with more than 20 organizations, including the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia and Sportsbackers, a nonprofit sports advocacy organization.

Run Richmond 16.19 is part of the Africa RECONNECT Event Series that Hounsou’s foundation will be introducing throughout the coming years. The events will aim to demonstrate the connection between the past and future and celebrate unity in diversity.

The events take place in Liverpool, United Kingdom, Ouidah, West Africa and Richmond. The three locations formed the triangular Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Last year’s inaugural race in Richmond attracted hundreds of local and national participants.

For more information on the event and to register, visit Run Richmond 16.19′s website.

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