The “Run on the Runway” race has become one of the major fundraisers for the JFK Rotary Club. The first race was run in April 1972. Until 2000 it was a 10K race which started at the Ramada Plaza JFK Hotel parking lot and to the runway and back to the hotel. Due to problems with traffic control on the public roads, the Port Authority requested we take part of the race off public roads and contain it to the runways.
In 2002, it was decided to change it to a 5K race. It is a unique race as one of the active runways is actually closed to aircraft landing and taking off for a couple of hours or so. Airplanes are routed to land and take off from a secondary runway during the race. As a result of 9/11 and the Boston Marathon incident, security has become a major issue in planning the race. The Rotary Club works very closely with the airport authorities to ensure that the security programs in place are strictly adhered to.
