Kicking off Homecoming Week is the annual 5K race on campus organized by Weber State Campus Recreation Services.

The race consists of a 5-kilometer (3.1 miles) course that travels all around the Ogden campus, beginning at the Dee Events Center and ending at the Stewart Stadium. Students who don’t want to participate in the live race can register to compete virtually and submit their results online.

Winners of the race are awarded various prizes provided by Weber State and Minky Couture, the race’s sponsor. There is also a raffle that all participants of the race are entered into. Virtual runners who submit their 5K results on the race’s webpage receive a recycled medal and t-shirt as a reward for their participation.

While it is a competitive race, it is very inclusive and all students are encouraged to participate, regardless of experience or fitness level. This event is designed to get students involved on campus and in the community, promote sustainability and healthy living and get students excited about homecoming.

“The finish line of the race is at the stadium, which is a really cool way to get students excited about homecoming, since homecoming week ends with the football game in the stadium,” Rebecca Mabile, the Campus Recreation staff memeber in charge of this event, said. “In this way, homecoming week starts and ends in the same place, which is a fun way to tie the whole week together.”

The cause affiliated with this race is sustainability. The event promotes sustainable practices such as recycling, energy preservation and reduction of waste products.

“It is super important to us that we promote sustainability at all of our races. We have too much waste in our society,” Mabile said. “The racing culture itself generates a lot of waste because people are always trying to make everything cheap, disposable, and convenient for racers. We are trying our best to push against this by making our races as sustainable as possible to help our environment in whatever ways we can.”

Sustainability has been a major focus for Weber State in recent years and the institution has made significant efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and waste production. In fact, the university has committed to being a completely carbon-neutral campus by 2050.

Their efforts have included upgrading to more energy-efficient heating and lighting systems, eliminating fossil fuel-based processes, using renewable energy sources, setting up recycling bins all around campus and supporting environmentally friendly clubs and on-campus organizations.