'Runner-Friendly Community' Designation Renewed In Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — The Road Runners Club of America renewed Fredericksburg’s designation as a “Runner Friendly Community,” a recognition that requires a locality to demonstrate community infrastructure, community support and local government support for running.

Every five years, a Runner Friendly Community must work with the Road Runners Club of America to ensure it continues to meet the organization’s expectations for the designation.

Fredericksburg, along with Ann Arbor, Michigan, successfully renewed their Runner Friendly Community designation for the summer of 2021. The Road Runners Club of America also welcomed Rochester, Minnesota and Sioux Falls, South Dakota as newly designated Runner Friendly Communities for 2021.

Each community must show it has an infrastructure that can foster physical activity in a safe environment to receive the designation.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the important role communities play in making running accessible for citizens,” Jean Knaack, RRCA Executive Director, said in a statement. “The references from city and state government leaders for this round of Runner Friendly Communities demonstrates the impact of positive relationships between runners and local officials.”

The goal of the RRCA’s Runner Friendly Community program is to shine a national spotlight on communities that stand out as runner-friendly and provide incentives and ideas for communities to work toward becoming runner-friendly.

Among the runner-friendly community infrastructure that the RRCA looks for are networks of well-maintained and well-lit sidewalks, multi-use trails, paths, share lanes and other pedestrian networks that allow a runner to complete three to 10 miles of distance, either continuously in one direction or through a loop course.