Our vision for RUN RICHMOND 16.19 is to commemorate the sacrifices and achievements our African American brothers & sisters have made to our nation and celebrate Unity in Diversity through symbolic courses of 16.19 km and 6.19 mi.

About the Event
Run Richmond 16.19 is a cultural running event that the Djimon Hounsou Foundation is hosting every year in close collaboration with Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia and running event specialist Sports Backers. This unique event takes you on a meaningful journey through +400 Years of Black History, a history you will be able to touch and feel – up close & personal.
Through our running/walking courses of 16.19K and 6.19K and a community-powered finish festival we commemorate the sacrifices & achievements our African American brothers and sisters have made to our nation and celebrate Unity in Diversity in an intentional effort to bring people together to connect, heal and reconcile. It is powered by over 20 nonprofit partners.
Run Richmond 16.19 is part of the AFRICA RECONNECT Event Series that the Djimon Hounsou Foundation will be rolling out over the coming years. These events aim to symbolically reverse the direction of the slave trade, showcase how the past is connected to the present and future, and celebrate Unity in Diversity.
Our three event locations (1) Richmond, VA, (2) Liverpool, UK, and (3) Ouidah, West Africa were all important centers during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. They now form the Triangle of Hope.
North America
Richmond
United Kingdom
Liverpool
West Africa
Ouidah
Why did we select these places in particular? Richmond, Liverpool, and Ouidah are the three host cities of a stunning memorial, the Reconciliation Statue. Created by Liverpool-based artist Stephen Broadbent, they represent a powerful apology for the unspeakable horrors and lasting consequences of slavery. When connected through straight lines, these sculptures form the Triangle of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, a trade that the British Colonies in North America joined in the Year 1619. While slavery existed in the Americas before then, the year 1619 marks a foundational historic date in our shared history.
The inscription of the Reconciliation Statue beautifully summarizes our vision:
Acknowledge and forgive the past. Embrace the present. Shape a future of reconciliation and justice.