I can’t remember a time when downtown Rochester was more beautiful than it was Saturday morning. As I ran along the river, the bright morning sunshine sparkled off the water, highlighting the beauty of the downtown skyline.
There’s not much that will bring me downtown (and outdoors) on a chilly November morning, but this was a special occasion: the 17th annual Wegmans East Avenue Grocery Run, hosted by the Third Presbyterian Church. I, and a bunch of my Webster Village Runners buddies, joined almost 2,200 other runners and walkers for the race, which takes participants along East Ave., Court St., Woodbury Blvd., Chestnut St., and along the beautiful Genesee Riverway Trail.
Road races are a dime a dozen, and most of them benefit nonproft organizations. But the Grocery Run takes that mission a step further. Thanks to the race’s many generous business sponsors, which cover all of the event’s overhead costs, every dollar raised through the runners’ entry fees is donated directly to food cupboards. And when participants sign up for the race, they can even specify which pantry they’d like to support, ensuring that their registration fee benefits an organization of their choice.
Webster was well represented this year, with Webster HOPE and Webster Community Chest both fielding teams. Webster HOPE alone had 33 runners (including several of us Webster Village Runners).
In addition to the Grocery Run’s wonderful commitment to feeding the hungry in our communities, this is just a downright fun event. It’s a flat course, and it has something for everyone. For serious runners, there’s a 5K and a 10K. For those not enamored with long distances, there’s also a 1K option. And for the very young wanna-be runners, there’s something called the “Boogie for Broccoli” 50-yard dash, which is just stinkin’ adorable. Plus, it’s famous for its post-race food, which includes macaroni and cheese, chili, pizza, bagels, bagged chips, more cookies and brownies than you could count, chocolate milk, hot cocoa and coffee.
This year’s Grocery Run was a record-breaker, attracting 2,197 runners and walkers, about 400 more than last year. And the fundraising results were just as impressive: nearly $120,000 was raised to benefit the event’s 43 partner hunger-relief programs, also a new record.
So, yeah, it was a bit chilly (temperatures were in the 40s when we started), but the sunshine, camaraderie and great food made for a wonderful morning. I’d highly recommend the Wegmans East Avenue Grocery Run to anyone looking for a fun, relatively easy run or walk that also makes a real difference in the lives of neighbors in need.
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(posted 11/7/2026)
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