Washington, DC (August 24, 2023) – The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation announced that its annual Foley 5K DC Freedom Run/Walk will be held October 15 at Anacostia Park in Washington, D.C. with an 8 a.m. onsite registration time and 9 a.m. race time. The Foundation has hired Potomac River Running and Commonwealth Timing to manage the race professionally at the National Park Service venue. The race is a companion to the popular Freedom Run hosted annually in New Hampshire where conflict journalist Jim Foley was raised. Participants are also able run/walk and raise funds wherever they live around the world as part of a “virtual run.”
“We chose Anacostia Park for its unique history, central location, proximity to Capitol Hill, and charming race venue,” said Ellen Shearer, Foley Foundation Board Chair, and professor emerita at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
James Foley was brutally murdered by ISIS on August 19, 2014, after 21 months in captivity. He had been covering the Syrian civil war for Global Post and Agence France Presse at the time of his capture. Foley Foundation President and Founder Diane Foley wrote in The Hill newspaper on the ninth anniversary of her son’s death, “The intentional targeting of U.S. nationals and their subsequent kidnapping or wrongful detention abroad continues to be a national security threat. It is a growing crisis, with nation states now the leading culprits and the U.S. government without a national deterrence strategy.”
The Foley Foundation was created to advocate for the safe return of all Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad, conduct research on hostage-taking and wrongful detentions, and provide journalist safety education. The Freedom Run/Walk charity fundraiser has a goal of raising $150,000 from this year’s races to support the Foundation’s critical work. To learn about DC sponsorship opportunities, contact Patricia Eisner: patricia.eisner@jamesfoleyfoundation.org.
Anacostia Park encompasses 1,200 acres along the Anacostia River and has a river trail and other running paths that are well-marked for the 5K race. Potomac River Running has certified the racecourse with the USA Track and Field Association. The course will begin at 1500 Anacostia Drive, and is an “out and back” course, which is considered “flat and fast” by race enthusiasts.
“The work that the Foley Foundation does to support press freedom and journalist safety is essential, and the National Press Club is excited to host a team for the 5K race again this year,” said NPC President Eileen Drage O’Reilly, who is the managing editor of standards and training at Axios. “The race supports the important preservation of Jim’s legacy of moral courage and journalistic integrity. Join us!”
To register or to learn more about the Foley Freedom Run, visit www.foleyrun.org
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