The District held the first annual Frederick Douglass 5K fun run/walk and the unveiling of the new Oxon Run Trail on Feb. 17 at the Oxon Run Park Amphitheater.
The event honoring the 200th anniversary of the birthday of Frederick Douglass included a ribbon cutting for the newly remodeled run and bike trail in Oxon Run Park.
The event was a collaborative effort by the energy and environment department, transportation department and Mayor Muriel Bowser. Following registration and a warm up, runners lined up at the grand opening ribbon for the Oxon Run Trail. Led by Bowser, participants ran through the ribbon to start the run/walk along the trail.
Along the trail were quotes from Frederick Douglass and facts about him. Members of the community joined Bowser in putting the finishing touches on the planting of an English elm tree, the same species that shaded Frederick Douglass during his historic speeches of the 1870s.
