Open Wednesday - Saturday 10 AM – 5 PM*
Registration Open!
Event Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
BHMVA is proud to partner for the 5th year as the event education partner!
STEP INTO HISTORY: Run Richmond 16.19 Brings More Than 400 Years of Black History and Culture to Life
RICHMOND, VA (February 15, 2026) — Run Richmond 16.19 will celebrate its fifth anniversary on September 12, 2026, taking participants through historic neighborhoods and sites central to more than 400 years of Black history.
Run Richmond 16.19 is the official race partner of Black Girls Run’s Sweat With Your Sole National Conference and a commemorative partner of VA250, the nationwide observance marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Organized by the Djimon Hounsou Foundation in collaboration with the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia (BHMVA), Sports Backers, and more than 40 community partners, the event invites participants to connect the past with the present through movement, storytelling, and place-based learning.
Participants may choose between a 16.19K run (10 miles) and an 8K run/walk (5 miles). Along the route, runners and walkers encounter historical signage and video installations that highlight Richmond’s pivotal role in American history and the African American experience. A GPS-enabled mobile app transforms the race route into an outdoor museum experience, automatically delivering audio messages narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou as participants reach key historical sites.
Through this immersive experience, attendees acknowledge and learn from shared history, celebrate Black culture, and take a stand for unity in diversity.
Says Max Plank, the Program and Marketing Director of the Djimon Hounsou Foundation: “As we navigate challenging times, RUN RICHMOND 16.19 underscores the power of coming together as a community to remember our shared past and honor those who came before us. This event invites people to engage deeply with history in a way that’s accessible, personal, and transformative.”
Adds Shakia Warren, the Executive Director of the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia: “By walking or running the same streets where history was made, participants connect with the past in a visceral way. Run Richmond 16.19 serves as a powerful reminder that understanding our history—the full story with all its complexity—is essential to shaping a better future together.”
2025 finisher medal by South African artist Russell Abrahams, aka Yay Abe, © Doug Ash
At the finish location at Abner Clay Park, right opposite of BHMVA, the Djimon Hounsou Foundation hosts a post-race festival, which includes live performances, a drum circle, a Black history pop-up exhibit, a living museum experience, vendor village, foods & drinks.
Two-time Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou — known for Amistad, Gladiator, and Blood Diamond, and more recently A Quiet Place: Day One and Rebel Moon — will lead the start of the race and participate in the event. Reflecting on the intention of the community gathering organized by his nonprofit, Hounsou quotes Marcus Garvey:
“A people without knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots. It’s time to reclaim our heritage and grow back our roots.”
Key sponsors of Run Richmond 16.19 include the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, the National Alliance of Faith and Justice, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia Humanities, Allianz Partners, the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond, Dominion Energy, Sentara and Haleon.
