Nonprofit New York Road Runners (NYRR) kicked off Mental Health Awareness Month in Queens on Saturday morning with 6,000 adult and youth runners at its third annual NYRR Mindful 5K. A record-breaking 5,250 adult athletes raced through Flushing Meadows Corona Park, while hundreds of youth ages 2 to 18 tackled free Rising New York Road Runners dashes and races. The event highlighted the connection between running and mental health well-being and is one of several New York Road Runners initiatives throughout May to encourage New Yorkers to move their bodies. Research shows that just 15 minutes of running or walking a day can reduce the risk of major depression by up to 26 percent.
Alfredo Mazzuca of Long Island City, running with Hellgate Road Runners, won the men’s race in 15:43, while Gabriella Zak of North Brooklyn Runners broke the tape in the women’s race in 18:02, just one second off the event record. Samuel Cooperberg of Peekskill, New York won the nonbinary division in 20:38.
Before athletes ran, they got into the spirit of Mental Health Awareness Month with special activations and programming, including the Zen Zone, a serene space for meditation and mindfulness with live sessions and self-guided audio recordings. New York Road Runners first introduced the Zen Zone at the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon and has since become a staple both at the marathon and the NYRR Mindful 5K.
Runners also calmed their nerves with therapy dogs from New York Therapy Animals. New York Road Runners and New York Therapy Animals started their partnership nearly a decade ago to bring therapy dogs to the start of the TCS New York City Marathon. The program expanded in 2026 with therapy dogs at the United Airlines NYC Half in March and now the NYRR Mindful 5K.
Other NYRR Mindful 5K activities included the Reflection Wall where runners shared their motivation and inspiration for running, the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC) tent with resources, materials, and information about the organization’s mental health services, and a NYRR Run for the Future tent with interactive mindfulness activities.
During Mental Health Awareness Month, New York Road Runners will offer a series of in-person activities, virtual challenges, free community programming, and digital resources designed to build community.
A NYRR Mindful 5K activity included the Reflection Wall where runners shared their motivation and inspiration for running.