The Richmond Road Runners Club Thanks Dad 5K is designed as a Father’s Day run to highlight the special relationship between fathers and grandfathers and their sons/daughters and grandsons/granddaughters.
The Thanks Dad 5K was created in memory of Pete Neal who served as the Richmond Road Runners Club’s Coordinator of Volunteers before succumbing to the ravages of multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. Pete’s own father was a runner and Pete passed on that love of athletics to his daughter, Rebekah and son, Jacob. Along with Jacob, Pete was determined to run a marathon in each of the 50 states. Despite severe medical issues, they managed to finish 21 marathons in 18 states before Pete's death in August 2014.