The Susan B. Anthony Legacy Race: A 5K Run/Walk for Women's Progress will cross the streets of Rochester for the third time on Sunday, September 22. The event celebrates the suffragist's efforts to win women equal rights and opportunities, including her fight to win women admission to the University of Rochester.
Proceeds from the race benefit ongoing educational programs at the Anthony Center for Women's Leadership at the University of Rochester and The Susan B. Anthony House.
"Many of Susan B. Anthony's goals have been achieved," said Nora Bredes, director of the Anthony Center. "But we have yet to realize Anthony's complete dream-women and men leading together, sharing equal power."
"The Legacy Race is a celebration of our freedoms, many of which were won because of Susan B. Anthony's lifelong work," said Lorie Lachiusa Barnum, executive director of The Susan B. Anthony House. "It was 130 years ago this year Anthony was arrested for voting. Today, women can vote, attend college, and enjoy freedoms and opportunities unknown to their foremothers.
"We hope that women and men who cherish and respect these rights will join us by running or walking our 5K, remembering that just by crossing the finish line, they subscribe to Anthony's famous words, 'Failure is impossible,' " Barnum said.
The race will begin at 10 a.m. at The Susan B. Anthony House at 17 Madison St., proceeding east on West Main Street to Ford Street, onto Ford Street and east across the Ford Street Bridge to Wilson Boulevard, finishing at the Eastman Quadrangle facing Rush Rhees Library on the University's River Campus. Runners and walkers will be able to park and register at the University and will be transported to the race start by shuttle bus. The last bus to take participants to the Anthony House will leave at 9:45 a.m.
In addition, a "Fun Run" for children 12 and under will be held at 11 a.m. on the Eastman Quadrangle.
The Greater Rochester Association of Women Attorneys and News 10NBC WHEC TV are joining the Center and the House in co-sponsoring the race again this year. Additional support is being provided by Montana Mills, Wegmans, Blair Design Studio, Broccolo Tree & Lawn Care Inc., Gutenberg Books, Plunkett's Fabulous Foods Inc., The Distillery, Runner's World Magazine, Hunt FM Technologies, Willopus T-Shirts, and Regional Transit Service.
Participants are encouraged to register in advance and take advantage of an Early Bird Entry fee of $15 that is good until Sept. 16. The fee after Sept. 16 is $18. Registration for students and senior citizens is $10. Participants who collect pledges of $25 or more will receive a commemorative race T-shirt. Team registrations are also encouraged.
Registration can be handled on-line at www.rochester.edu/SBA. For more information or a paper application, contact the Anthony Center at (585) 275-8799 or by e-mail at bsny@mail.rochester.edu. Registration on the day of the race will be from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. behind Rush Rhees Library on Library Road.
Prizes will be awarded to the first man and woman to cross the finish line and to the top women and men by age groups: 17 and under, 18 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, and 60 and over. Reflecting Anthony's role as a teacher and mentor to young women, including her own relatives, prizes also will be awarded to the fastest pairs who are a teacher and student, coach and athlete, and aunt and niece.
In September 1900, suffragist Susan B. Anthony learned that her two-year effort to admit women to the University of Rochester was in jeopardy. The day before the deadline of raising $50,000 to fund co-education, the campaign was $8,000 short.
Determined not to lose the cause, Anthony hastened to raise additional monies from the community. Racing to the trustees meeting on Sept. 8, 1900, she presented the list of funds and contributors and even pledged $2,000 of her own life insurance to make up the final gap. That fall, 32 women enrolled in the University; now, a total of 1,984 women are full-time undergraduate students at the University.