Registration for the 13th annual Marianne Volpe 5K run is still open

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For more than a decade, Jim Volpe has hosted the Marianne Volpe 5K Pumpkin Run in honor of his late wife, who died from leukemia in 2011.

The race is entering its 13th year on Oct. 26, with all proceeds donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a nonprofit organization that funds research, education and support for patients with blood cancers.

The event, which will be held at Baldwin Harbor Park, is scheduled to start with a half-mile kids’ fun run at 9 a.m., followed by the 5K at 9:30 a.m.

In a phone interview with the Herald, Volpe reflected on the moments after his wife’s death, recalling how he urged friends and family to contribute to the society in lieu of sending flowers.

But a significant moment came when he received a large check from a friend, prompting him to consider channeling those funds toward a meaningful cause. He reached out to his friend, Robert McIntyre, who works with the society, seeking guidance on how to best use the money.

McIntyre, a leukemia survivor himself, collaborated with Volpe to host the inaugural race in 2012, raising funds for the organization while honoring Marianne Volpe’s memory.

The first 5K took place in late October, in 2012, just before Hurricane Sandy came barreling through the region. Jim Volpe noted that initial participation was low, but over the years, the race steadily attracted more runners.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 led to a decrease in participants, resulting in the shift to a virtual race format for the first time.

“Some people ran at Baldwin Park and some ran remotely,” he said. “A lot ran remotely and maybe had 20 people come down to the park. I wanted to keep it at the park to just keep it going.”

Last year’s race raised more than $30,000, and during the past 12 years, more than $300,000 has been raised altogether.

Volpe admitted that he was never a runner in high school, but soccer certainly runs deep in his veins. A Hall of Famer in the Long Island Junior Soccer League, he has also served as the chairman of the Eastern New York Olympic Development Program, a youth soccer association of the United States Soccer Federation and the United States Youth Soccer, for more than a decade.

His children, Chelsea and Shaun, also played in the soccer league before continuing their soccer careers at Manhattan College, and still remain engaged in the sport today. The 5K event has received steadfast support from both the soccer and running communities.

“We’ve always been pretty successful when it comes to runners signing up — over 200 runners,” Volpe said.

Although the race is not new to Volpe, he continues to find joy in seeing familiar faces return year after year to support the cause and honor his late wife.

“I enjoy the people that come, the ones that come year after year — some of which are friends and family,” he said. “I enjoy celebrating my wife’s life. We have a lot of good memories, and I enjoy celebrating that and using that to do good things rather than grieving and sitting at home.

“I’d rather turn lemons into lemonade and turn something bad into something good,” he added.

To register for the 5K run, visit Events.EliteFeats.com/24volpepumpkin. Online registration costs $30 for the 5K run/walk and $10 for the kids’ half-mile run.