PITTSTON, LUZERNE CO. (WOLF) — The inaugural Pittston Patriot Classic 5K brought runners and walkers to downtown Pittston on Saturday for a Fourth of July race tied to America’s 250th anniversary.
The race, designed for people of all experience levels, began at 9 a.m. near 71 S. Main St. and looped through a little over three miles of downtown Pittston before finishing back on Main Street.
Dave Bass, race director for The Pittston Patriot Classic 5K, said he and Mayor Michael Lombardo saw the holiday as a chance to create a new tradition in downtown Pittston.
“It’s America’s 250th anniversary, and I talked to Mayor Lombardo, and we said we have to do something, something fun for the city. We decided to put together a 5K. We’ve had a fantastic response from the running community, from the Pittston community. I think we’ll probably be over 100 to 150 runners this morning, which is great for any first-time race, and we’re looking forward to making this a yearly event,” said Bass.
Additionally, Bass described the event as a sort of “Christmas in July,” with proceeds from the race benefiting Pittston’s Shop with a Cop holiday program. The program helps elementary-school-aged children shop with law enforcement for gifts for their loved ones while building positive relationships with first responders.
Bass added that with the strong community support in only its first year, he hopes to build on the event and bring the Pittston Patriot Classic 5K back annually as part of the city’s Fourth of July celebration.