Clean Air Council to Host 36th Annual Run for Clean Air on Sunday, April 9, Sponsored by Toyota Hybrids
Register Today to Run for Clean Air and Be a Part of the Region’s Largest Earth Day Celebration
(March 28, 2017) PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Clean Air Council today announced the 36th annual Run for Clean Air will be held on April 9, 2017, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. This year’s event will begin at Paine’s Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive next to the Philadelphia Art Museum. More than 2,500 runners are expected to join in this year’s certified-green Run for Clean Air, sponsored by Toyota Hybrids. The event is the region’s largest Earth Day celebration and one of its longest-running charity races. This year’s event features four races – the PHLY 10K, 5K Run, 3K Walk and Kids’ Fun Run. Online registration and additional details can be found at runforcleanair.com.
“We’re so excited to bring more than 2,500 participants together to celebrate Earth Day and broaden our community committed to protecting everyone’s right to breathe clean air,” said Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Clean Air Council’s Executive Director. “This year, we’re especially eager to use this wonderful event to let people know about important work we’ve been doing around reducing methane and natural gas emissions in Pennsylvania and nationwide. We’re grateful to Toyota Hybrids and our sponsors for their pivotal role in making the Run for Clean Air one of the most successful charitable events in the Philadelphia region. We’ve got something for runners of all ages and abilities, and there’s still time to sign up and run for a great cause!”
The PHLY 10K run, sponsored by Philadelphia Insurance Companies, is one of the few organized 10K runs in the region, and runners often use it to train for the Broad Street Run or longer races. It begins at 7:30 a.m. The 5K Run starts soon after at 7:45 a.m. and includes an optional yoga stretch at 7:00 a.m. specifically designed for runners to warm up in the best way possible. The 3K Walk, now in its fifth year, gives everyone in the community the chance to get active and support Clean Air Council’s mission to protect clean, breathable air. The Kids’ Fun Run opens up the event to the entire family. Children five and under can participate in a 250-yard dash and children ages six to 12 can sign up for a half-mile fun run. Participating kids receive a Kids’ Run shirt, a ribbon and a bag of eco-friendly goodies. All three race routes trace the banks of the Schuylkill River along the scenic Martin Luther King Drive, complete with mile markers with clean air facts provided by Peco.
“Toyota and the Tri-State Toyota Dealers are very proud to be the Presenting Sponsor, a 3rd year in a row, for the 36th annual Run for Clean Air. With Toyota’s ongoing commitment to the development of vehicles that help reduce carbon emissions in addition to being at the forefront of alternative fuel leadership, we are thrilled to once again support the Clean Air Council and this year’s Run for Clean Air,” said Paul Muller, President of the Tri-State Toyota Dealers Association. “Toyota is committed to helping play a role in delivering cleaner air and environmental sustainability to our customers and leading the world toward a more sustainable future. With a portfolio of eight Toyota hybrid models and one Toyota hydrogen fuel-cell model, we are the leader in green vehicles and have selection of hybrid sedans and SUV models to fit our customers’ diversified needs, – including the newest edition to our hybrid line-up, the Prius Prime, which will be onsite for runners to come take a seat and check out in this year’s Toyota Hybrid display at the post-run Earth Day Celebration at the base of the iconic Art Museum steps.”
Run for Clean Air Through the Years and Today
More than 50,000 runners have participated in the event since it began in 1981 as a small race in Wissahickon with just over a hundred participants. Today, the event champions breathable air and healthy, engaged communities as one of the region’s largest Earth Day celebrations. Clean Air Council is committed to making each year’s Run for Clean Air a certified green run by AFitPlanet. This year, the Council is pushing the limits of the event’s sustainability with t-shirts printed with sustainable inks, recyclable run bibs, paperless on-site registration, picture frame medals, free bike valet and powering the event with portable solar panels.
Regular online registration for all Run for Clean Air events runs through March 31. Runners can register at cleanair.org/runforcleanair. After March 31, racers can also sign up race day, beginning at 7am. Prices for different events during regular online registration are as follows:
- PHLY 10K – $40.00
- 5K Run – $30.00
- 3K Walk – $20.00
The Kids’ Fun Run costs $10.00 regardless of registration time. Late online registration runs through March 31, and race day registration is also available for an additional $10. After online registration closes (March 31st at midnight), you can register in person at any of the packet pickups or on race day starting at 7 a.m. Team bibs, bags, and shirts must be picked up by one representative from the team. Team items will not be separated. It is that representative’s responsibility to distribute to team members. Registration and more details are available at runforcleanair.com.
About the Run for Clean Air Sponsors
The Run for Clean Air is made possible by the generous support of the following organizations:
- Toyota Hybrids
- Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY)
- PECO
- CBS Radio
- Johnson Matthey
- Green Mountain Energy
- Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Air Quality Partnership
- Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP
The Clean Air Council is grateful for the ongoing commitment of these community-minded companies.
About Clean Air Council’s #CutMethane Program
Clean Air Council uses celebrated events like the Run for Clean Air to support and increase awareness and advocacy for a broad range of sustainability and public health initiatives. Recently, Clean Air Council has focused a targeted campaign of research, public education and advocacy calling for state and federal regulations to curb methane pollution. Methane leaks can exacerbate respiratory diseases (such as asthma) and lead to lung and heart disease, even cancer. Despite public support for rules limiting current and future methane leaks, there are few laws on the books putting such safeguards in place.
About Clean Air Council
Clean Air Council is a member- supported, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting everyone’s right to breathe clean air. For more information about Clean Air Council, visit www.cleanair.org.
