KEENE, N.H. – (MyKeeneNow) As Americans celebrated Independence Day with fireworks, barbecues, and patriotic attire, Keene’s strong running culture marked the occasion with a charitable road race.

This year’s 4 on the 4th race, held to benefit Pathways for Keene, saw nearly 600 runners and walkers—a record for the event over the past decade.

Pathways for Keene, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and maintaining local outdoor trails, hosted the race on Thursday morning. Starting from Railroad Square, the 4-mile race has become a staple in the community’s Fourth of July celebrations.

In response to past heat concerns, organizers maintained an early start time of 7:30 a.m. for walkers and 8 a.m. for runners, which proved beneficial given the forecasted high of nearly 90 degrees.

Ted McGreer, vice president of Pathways for Keene and owner of Ted’s Shoe & Sport, said the event draws about $50,000 annually for Pathways for Keene. This year, proceeds will fund construction of the Prowse bridge, which includes building two bridges over Route 101 and Swanzey Factory Road to extend the trail system into Swanzey and beyond.

In the 2024 running race results, Jake Velasquez, 22, of Keene, claimed his fourth consecutive overall win yesterday with a time of 20:05.37. Griffin Urnezis of Meriden, N.H., and Dawson Adams of North Walpole finished second and third, respectively. On the women’s side, Anna Zilinski, 30, of Swanzey, topped the field with a time of 23:13.83, finishing 17th overall. Maggie St. John of Hinsdale and Jennifer Amato of Westmoreland rounded out the top three women’s finishers.

Check out the start of the race here:

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