Wonder Woman Run comes to Blacksburg
November 17, 2019 | Sophia Trout and Noah Butler
Virginia Tech students and local residents come together to participate in the Wonder Woman College Run Series 5K.
Blacksburg, VA., November 17 - The Finish Line: Runners pass under the arch as they finish the race and collect their medals. Photo: Sophia Trout
BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA -- The DC Wonder Woman Run Series came to Virginia Tech on November 17. People from all around the New River Valley came to participate in the 5 kilometer run down Smithfield Road, as well as meet other racers and dress up as their favorite superhero, Wonder Woman.
The Wonder Woman Run Series began in 2018 in California as a way to “bring a new and inspiring Wonder Woman experience to our fans,” said Maryellen Zarakas in a 2018 article. Zarakas was the Senior Vice President of Franchise Management and Marketing for Warner Bros. Consumer Products at the time.
The Wonder Woman Run promotes female empowerment, saying that each racer is a superhero. The M.C. of the event called the female racers “Wonder Women” and thanked the male racers for coming out to support their Wonder Women. Banners at the event displayed words of encouragement, such as love, bravery and power.
The race is held in cities such as Chicago, Fargo, Kansas City, Denver, and Seattle, however, the DC Wonder Woman College Run Series brought the run to multiple universities around the state to encourage college students and people in the surrounding communities to join in.
Photo: Sophia Trout
Schools who participated in the College Run Series include Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Michigan State, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Stephen F. Austin State University, University of South Carolina, Washington State, Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech.
At Virginia Tech, the race shut down Smithfield Road and runners with their friends and family convened before the race for photo opts, a prize wheel and writing down “Who is Your Wonder Woman” on a board for others to see.
The race began promptly at 1 P.M. and some runners finished the 5k within 20 minutes.
You can find races happening near you at the Wonder Woman Run website with new colleges and universities being added in Spring 2020.