Friends of Reston debuts new 5K event

A new 5k is coming to Reston on Oct. 17 in an effort to raise funds for Friends of Reston, a nonprofit organization that supports Reston Association.

The Friends of Reston Fall 5K will take place at Brown’s Chapel Park, which is located at 1686 Browns Chapel Road. Beginning at 8 a.m., attendees can will travel across paved trails in north Reston. Spectators are welcome to cheer on participants.

A spokesperson for Friends of Reston told Reston Now that the organization wanted to debut a new all-outdoor event that would be fun for the community while raising awareness about the organization and scholarship funds.

“Friends of Reston holds a few fundraisers each year for various projects. We’ve presented the Nature Center 5K every April for many years – pandemic precautions did have bearing on putting that on hold in 2021,” the spokesperson said.

Registration is open online through Oct. 15. Participants will receive a T-shirt and a goodie bag. The fee is $40 if registered by Friday and rises by $5 after that or during in-person registration at the event.

Proceeds from the event will go toward funding youth scholarships  and the enrichment of RA’s programs.

Friends of Reston was established in 1999. In the past, it has used funds for camp scholarships, swimming, and tennis. It’s most notable project was courting $1.5 million for the design and construction of the Nature House.