UPDATED: Sept. 27, 2017 at 9:14 p.m.

After 25 years as a Syracuse Festival of Races coach, health activist, feminist and director, David Oja will retire Sunday and pass on the torch for the deep-rooted community event.

Oja’s 3-month-old grandson will participate in the four-part event at Manley Field House, and a 95-year-old man will try to break the record for fastest 5K time in his age group. Oja said he welcomes participants to walk, jump, compete, run or simply cheer on the crowd.

The charitable festival will consist of four separate events, including a 5K for men and a 5K for women, a fun run 3K and a 3K walk.

The Festival of Races has been an important part of the Syracuse community since its start in 1984. When it began, the race was strictly for women and was called “Freihofer’s Run for Women.” Olympic athletes were among the top competitors. But in 1992, Freihofer’s was sold, and the company’s new owners pulled the funding for the race.

Oja, then a women’s running coach, was determined to continue the Syracuse tradition. He said he felt continuing to hold the race would promote distance running to the community, adding that “all you need is a pair of running shoes.” He decided to create his own road race and expand it.

“People are not able to play in the World Series, the US Open or the Super Bowl, but they are able to run with champions,” he said.

His inspiration to direct the races was to advocate healthy and physically active lifestyles for not only those living in Syracuse but to those across the country. Runners from across the United States have participated in the festival.

In order to maximize the benefits of the festival, Oja said he did not limit people to raise money for one organization. Numerous charities promote their causes and the runners choose which charities they donate to.

This approach is best, Oja said, because the charities are “treated like runners.” The charities do all their work on their own and are provided with an infrastructure to promote themselves. This technique helps the charities raise awareness, gain volunteers and collect donations.

The purpose of the festival is not just to make money — Oja said his main focus is to help the participants run their fastest 5K. Eight-hundred runners are expected to participate in the 5K races and about 2,000 runners are expected for the 3K.

Courtesy of David Oja

To increase the accessibility of these races, Oja set entry fees of $30 for the 5K races and $12 for the 3K races.

He stencils 190 running lines throughout the entire course of the race to mark 5,000 meters for the 5K races. This way, the runners will not overrun the course and make a wrong turn.

Oja said his favorite part of managing the races is “helping talented and serious performances (and) creating an environment conducive to fast performances.”

The men’s 5K will begin at 8:50 a.m. Sunday and the women’s will begin at 9:50 a.m. The 3K fun run and the Tops Friendly Markets Community walk will begin at 10:45 a.m.

All four events will conclude with the National Championship Awards Brunch and a T-shirt giveaway. The festival is open to all age groups and running levels.

The post has been updated with appropriate style.

Published on September 27, 2017 at 7:59 pm

Contact Amanda: aebyrne@syr.edu