Over 3,700 Turn Out for 2023 YWCA Race Against Hate
YWCA Evanston/North Shore’s 23rd annual Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate, held June 18, drew nearly 4,000 runners and walkers, 150 volunteers, and 76 sponsors to raise over $309,000.The Race Against Hate honors the legacy of Ricky Byrdsong, former Northwestern University men's basketball coach, who was murdered in 1999 by a white supremacist. Proceeds from the event go directly toward YWCA Evanston/North Shore’s work to prevent violence and promote racial justice.“As I engage with Race participants on Race day, it is amazing to hear some of their personal stories and why they are present. Many have experienced the loss of loved ones due to some form of hate or violence,” said Sherialyn Byrdsong, Ricky Byrdsong’s widow. "The Race shows that Ricky’s life has not been forgotten and that his death could put in motion a powerful and sustainable impact on a very real problem in our country, racism. Coupled with the fact that the Race occurs on Father's Day, it has always been my hope that parents would use the history and meaning of the Race as an opportunity to have conversations with their children about the value of all human life and to challenge them to be loving people and instruments of positive change in our communities.”Although the Race Against Hate takes place in Evanston, the annual event continues to draw thousands from not just surrounding Chicago and North Shore communities, but from across Illinois and the United States with participants from 25 states and Washington DC.To learn more about the Race Against Hate and YWCA Evanston/North Shore’s violence prevention and racial justice work, go to www.ywca.org/ens.
2023 RACE AGAINST HATE TOP RESULTS:
10K
- Top Female: Veronica Laureno 32:21; 2nd Female: Jillian Cordes 40:50; 3rd female: Britany Martin 41:12
- Top Male: Eric Vazquez-Olivia 32:21; 2nd Male: Jonathan Roberts 34:16; 3rd Male: Michael Scott 35:03
- Top Nonbinary: Shiny Fields 1:09:54; 2nd Nonbinary: Sarah Hobart 1:17:34
5K
- Top Female: Emma Kenyon 17:28; 2nd Female: Anna Hightower 17:44; 3rd female: Marianna Trejo 17:55
- Top Male: Kyle McCandless 15:49; 2nd Male: Brendan Thielsen 11:55; 3rd Male: Nathan Pavik 16:15
- Top Nonbinary: Olivia Tankevicius 33:58; 2nd nonbinary: Sophia Lavin 37:47; 3rd nonbinary: Harrison Shiffman 38:05
Complete race results can be found at https://results.raceroster.com/v2/en-US/results/96nufru9q9ptcbwf/results.Other results of note:
- Biggest 5k team: Evanston Running Club
- Biggest 10k team: Students Run Chicago
- Team that raised the most funds: Episcopalians United Against Hate
- Individual who raised the most funds: Margie Gordon
The 2024 annual Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate will take place on Sunday, June 16, 2024.