Miami University’s Red Brick 5K has been an event bringing together runners from all corners of the Oxford area for 45 years. Now in its 46th iteration, the run continues to expand its reach with new partnerships while holding onto the traditions that long-time participants expect.

This year’s run takes place 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 27. Runners will meet in front of Millett Hall before moving to the starting line for the race’s kickoff.

Ruchelle Dunwoody, director of Intramurals, Club Sports, Summer Camps and eSports at Miami, said while this year’s route is familiar, some changes had to be made to accommodate construction in the area.

“Typically, we start and finish in front of Millett, so on that right entryway,” Dunwoody said. “But there’s construction there this year, so we’re moving the start of the race to the backside of Martin Dining Hall. And then we’re going to typically stay the course of our race. The map has only changed probably three times over the past 46 years because it’s just easier that way.”

That route takes runners both through and around Miami’s campus, providing a full tour of the surrounding areas.

According to Dunwoody, who acts as race organizer, traffic is expected to remain largely unaffected by the race as runners mostly stick to sidewalks and cross roads at designated points, causing some stoppage but no closures.

Checkpoints at the 2K and 3K milestones will provide water to keep runners hydrated and their spirits high as they push toward the finish line. The competitors with the fastest times in each age group receive an engraved red brick as a prize, providing an incentive to try for the best time possible.

Even so, many participants treat the event more casually or as a chance to do an activity they love in a community setting.

Robert Bell, runner and director of Planning, Architecture and Engineering for Physical Facilities at Miami, has participated in the Red Brick 5K for around 10 years.

“I just like running as an exercise [and] stress reliever,” Bell said. “I tend to run by myself. I don’t run with groups or other people very much, but I do like the community of a race and everyone coming together.”

Bell, who lives in Oxford, said he appreciates the race as a local event that he can rely on happening every year. It also connects him to a larger community of runners, including some people he may not know otherwise.

“There’s this one guy, I don’t know his name, I don’t know where he’s from, I don’t think he’s in Oxford because I don’t see him any other time,” Bell said. “We recognize each other after the years, and we’re always going to race in about the same time. So he’s someone I look for and try to challenge myself against.”

The event also provides opportunities to support local organizations. One such group is Paws for a Cause, which will be involved with the 5K for the first time this year.

The organization is dedicated to raising and training dogs that will go on to become service animals. Runners who sign up for the race through the group will directly support them through a donation, and can also do so through a silent auction inside Millett Hall before the race.

Fundraising Chair Alex Stalzer, who has facilitated the group’s participation, said the timing of the Red Brick 5K matched with their goals for the year.

“Our president, Emily Stevenson, is an avid runner,” Stalzer said. “One of the things she really wanted to consider trying to do was a 5K this year, and we looked into planning our own, but we decided that would be a ton of work to get the logistics … We asked our advisors and they pointed us to the Rec Center and the Red Brick Run, and they were very easy to collaborate with.”

On top of the auction, which will feature baskets with items from places like Skyline Chili and Raising Cane’s, Stalzer said there will be dogs present at the event, although many likely won’t participate in the run itself.

Another group runners can support is the Amber Volk Foundation, established in memory of a Miami alumna and Phi MU member who died in 2008. Proceeds from the race made by the foundation will go toward a scholarship fund allowing a student from Harrison High School to attend Miami.

The Red Brick 5K can be approached in whatever way is most comfortable to participants, despite being billed as a race. Some people run the whole time, others split their time walking and running and some walk the whole time.

Dunwoody said this flexibility in approach is what she believes makes the race a great community event.

“Our goal is to provide something for everyone, so everyone can either walk or run,” Dunwoody said. “Come out, whether you’re a walker, whether you’re a runner, just come out and have a great day and participate in something that’s recreational.”

Registration for the Red Brick 5K is open through the day of the race, and costs $25 ($20 for registration before Friday, April 25) or $30 for supporting either Paws for a Cause or the Amber Volk Foundation ($25 for early registration).