2022 Run for Clean Air Canceled Due to Course Issues

The Clean Air Council, staff, board members and volunteers were looking forward to celebrating Earth Day with you in person, so it is with great disappointment that we announce that the 2022 Run for Clean Air is canceled. 

Unfortunately, with just over a month before the event, the City suddenly informed us that the MLK Bridge at the start of our course is no longer available for our use by special events. The Council Special Events Staff was not satisfied with the alternate locations available for a race of our size and wasn’t confident we could make the change given how little time we have left before the April 16th event. The Council takes great pride in organizing top-notch events for our supporters and we didn’t feel it was right to put on a rushed or scaled-down event that would not be up to our standards. This is not a decision that we take lightly. In fact, we were well into our preparations for the Run and were caught off guard when we got the news from the City. 

These last two years have been especially difficult for many and we were hoping that an in-person Run for Clean Air would bring back a sense of normalcy and much-needed community. We are so appreciative of the support we’ve received from our runners, walkers, volunteers, and partners and we hope that you will continue to stand by us in this difficult time. Each year, the Run for Clean Air raises over $100,000 in unrestricted funds that are critical to advancing Clean Air Council’s mission. Moreover, our Run has become a 41-year institution in the Philadelphia area, and Earth Day just won’t feel the same for us without it. With the cancellation of our race, we hope that you will consider making a donation in honor of Earth Day and becoming a member of Clean Air Council. 

What’s next? The Clean Air Council special events team is committed to creating a space for environmentally-minded Philadelphians to learn about sustainability and celebrate Earth Day. We look forward to finally coming together in 2023 with our first in-person event since 2019. We welcome open communication with you and hope that you will share your thoughts and ideas by emailing our Special Events Director, Bobby Szafranski, at rs@cleanair.org. The Run for Clean Air is truly a community event so your feedback is extremely valuable to us.