Plymouth is one the prettiest towns in Metro Detroit, and the Plymouth YMCA is bringing a couple of thousand people to run around and through its picturesque streets on Sunday. The annual Plymouth YMCA Father’s Day run is one of the more popular on the Southeast Michigan race circuit. It raises money for the Strong Kids Campaign, giving local families in need access to the Y’s emphasis on youth development, social responsibility and healthy living.
Events include a quarter-mile fun run for kids, a one-mile run, a 10K, and a “Tie One On For Dad” 5K. If runners show up wearing a tie to the race, they are entered into a drawing to win Tigers tickets. There’s even the “MGD Triple,” which is for hardcore runners who combine the 1 mile, 5K and 10K into a 10.3 mile run. The first, second and third place finishers in that race can win cash prizes.
Late registration is available Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
It’s fitting that this race is organized by the Y, since the YMCA was instrumental in launching the holiday. A Spokane, Washington woman named Sonora Smart Dodd advocated for a holiday equivalent to Mother’s Day honoring fathers. She wanted to honor her own father, who raised her and her five brothers after her mother died. The YMCA was one of the organizations that supported the idea and helped it get recognized on a state, and then a national level.
For more information about the run, call the Plymouth Y at 734-453-2904.