x
Breaking News
More () »

Thousands turn out for Norfolk Harbor 5K race

Event organizers said they were expecting a "record-setting number of participants" for the big two-day event.

NORFOLK, Va. — Event organizers say they were expecting record-setting numbers for the sixth annual Norfolk Harbor 5K.

Thousands of runners of all ages and abilities ran along the Elizabeth River and through the streets of downtown Norfolk.

Overall, event organizers say they got 6,000 registrants.

“We saw the Norfolk run and said 'hey, let’s go to Norfolk!' We’ve never really explored Norfolk,” Victoria Smith said. “I’m not going to lie, I haven’t trained like I would have liked to!” 

Runners said getting a chance to see the city is the highlight of the run.

“We really like seeing all the mermaids. We really count all the mermaids,” Christina Angstadt said. “You’ve got a lot of camaraderie. You’ve got people to help push you.”

Another runner, Rowena Soriano said, “Beautiful views of Norfolk. We can see the mermaid, the Elizabeth River.” 

The two-day event started Saturday at 8 a.m. with the We Promise Foundation Norfolk Harbor 5K.

After the race, the We Promise Foundation teamed up with Toby's Dream Foundation to award a 12-year-old boy battling cancer with his dream vacation to Mattel's Hot Wheels factory in California.

Sunday at 7:30 a.m. the Chartway Norfolk Harbor 10K and Half Marathon will begin.

Follow 13News Now on and Twitter
► Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. 
Download the 13News Now App.

Before You Leave, Check This Out