Second Annual Bionic5K Ready for Registration
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – On Sunday, April 28, 2019, the starting gun will go off for the
second annual Bionic5K in Harvard Square. The event recognizes the resilience and
tenacity of adaptive athletes, while inviting runners of all abilities to participate.
According to race director Will Borden, it’s more than a typical road race because it is
also a celebration of the recent scientific and technological advances that are ushering
in a new bionic age.
Two of the three race founders, Hugh Herr and Will Borden, are amputees themselves.
Hugh leads the Biomechatronics group at the MIT Media Lab, which creates advanced
bionic devices, and Will is an elementary school teacher at an independent school in
Cambridge. The third founder, Conor Walsh, directs the Harvard BioDesign Lab, which
focuses on developing wearable robotics that help restore human mobility.
In describing the reason for creating the event, Borden elaborates, “The 5K is the #1
race distance in the United States. In 2016, 17,000 5K races were held in the US with
over 8.2 million finishers.
Typical races include one or two adaptive athletes in a large
crowd of participants. We believe we can do something different.”
“By assembling a critical mass of amputee and adaptive runners, we can break down
barriers and normalize the experience of running alongside people with mobility
challenges. In addition, by shining a light on the recent advances in science, technology
and rehabilitation medicine, we can engage and inspire a broader group of people as
volunteers, runners and supporters, building awareness of the incredible strides that are
being made to end disability as we know it today,” adds Borden.
“Ultimately, we hope that this truly inclusive race will not only bring different types of
runners together, but also bring new people into the running community – encouraging
those who might ordinarily shy away from a 5k because of a physical limitation to join
our group of all ages and abilities,” Borden added.
For more information and registration, please go to: www.bionic5K.com.
Contact: Will Borden
info@bionic5K
617-990-4660