The Yankees will be having a Sprint to Spring 5k and Fun Run on February 19

On Saturday, February 19, the Yankees will be hosting a highly anticipated Sprint to Spring 5k and Fun Run with chip timing and coveted race swag. (There will be a virtual option for those not able to make it to the in person race that want to feel like they participated, which will cost $55 to register for. They will get the swag that will be given out to in person participants.)

This running event will take place at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa at the Yankees spring training complex and the location of their Low-A affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons. Participants will be able to gather to celebrate the start of another baseball season as spring training will be about to start (although it now seems unlikely since since both sides aren’t close to agreeing to end the lockout), they will be seeing the field from a player’s perspective and they will be supporting the local community and a good cause at the same time.

All participants in the 5k race and Fun Run will receive a Sprint to Spring race bib, a unique custom finisher medal and a Sprint to Spring t-shirt. Another incentive in addition to the swag and the experience of running the race is as of January 1 participants were able to receive an exclusive link to purchase discounted spring training tickets for select games.

The Yankees are known for giving back to the community over the years and this event is no different. A portion of the proceeds from the Sprint to Spring 5k and Fun Run will benefit the Yankees Tampa Foundation. The Yankees Tampa Foundation has contributed to the local Tampa area community since 1973 and gives to organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs, Special Olympics, Feeding Tampa Bay and the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. These three organizations are all very influential as they help help youth have a safe place to go after school with recreational activities and they help provide food to people who need it.

The Yankees have contributed to the community through this philanthropic organization since 1995. Under the direction of first George Steinbrenner and now Hal Steinbrenner, the foundation has raised over $4 million for athletic, recreational and educational programs for young people.

In addition to the Boys and Girls Clubs, Feeding Tampa Bay, Special Olympics and Crisis Center of Tampa Bay other organizations that receive assistance from the foundation include the Urban League, Boy Scouts, Big Brothers, Catholic Youth Organizations, Police Athletic League, Children’s Health Fund and the YMCA.

One event sponsored by the Yankees Tampa Foundation is the Steinbrenner Family annual children’s holiday concerts. The Steinbrenner Family and the Yankees spread cheer and enjoyment during the holiday season as they host the children’s holiday concert, which consists of three free concerts in the Tampa Bay area entertaining over 5,000 children from third through fifth grade.

One more special event sponsored by the Yankees Foundation is that the Yankees host an annual luncheon benefitting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay. During the event, there is a 25-minute autograph session with current Yankees players as well as Yankees legends. Following the autograph session, there is a lunch and program with Yankees players mixed with the youth from the Boys and Girls Clubs. This is an exciting experience for the kids.

The mission of the Yankees Tampa Foundation is to promote and sustain a cordial, cooperative relationship between the New York Yankees and its neighbors, and working together to enhance the life throughout the surrounding community.

The above is what those who participate in the event on February 19 will be contributing to. They will also have a healthy start to their day and get to see the spring training complex.

The 5k race is an event for participants of all ages. They suggest anyone who thinks their time will be over 20 minutes per mile to register for the Fun Run since that would be more appropriate for someone of that pace. A race map has not yet been released, but it appears that the race will at least finish inside of George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is where the Yankees play their Spring Training games.

The cost for the 5k is $40 for ages 12 and younger and $50 for ages 30 and up.

All ages are also welcome to participate in the Fun Run portion of the Sprint to Spring event. It will be a shorter course within the George M. Steinbrenner Field’s property, including fields 1 and 2. The registration cost is the same as the 5k.

Pepsi, Fifth Third Bank, Extended Stay America, Hard Rock Hotel Tampa and DEX Imaging are some of the sponsors of George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is where this event will take place.

In previous years, the Sprint to Spring event had games where people could win a keychain, sunglasses, a Yo-Yo or a buy one get one ticket voucher. They have also had a marching band in previous years as shown in a highlight video. Canadian James Paxton, who was a Yankee in 2019 and 2020, officially started the race with a blow horn at the 2019 or the 2020 event.

As seen in the highlight video of the Sprint to Spring event, the 5k race participants were shown on the Jumbotron of the stadium as they were finishing their race around the warning track of George M Steinbrenner Field.

Children three and under do not need to register, pets are not allowed and walkers are very much allowed at the event.

There will be overall awards for the first, second and third place winners for men and women. There will also be a prize for the first man over 40 and the first woman over 40 to finish the 5k.

On February 19, race day registration will be available starting at 7:30, the 5k race will begin at 8:00 a.m., the Fun Run will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the awards announcements will begin at 9:15 a.m. in the main plaza of George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is also known at The Boss.

Registration for the event at the Yankees Spring Training complex is available here. This is likely the only race that finishes where Yankee greats like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole, Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui (he was the MVP of the Yankees most recent World Series championship in 2009), Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Paul O’Neill, CC Sabathia, Brett Gardner (Gardner doesn’t have the accomplishments of other players on this list but he was drafted by the team and has been a Yankee for the first 13 seasons of his career) Dellin Betances trained to get ready for a season and played their Grapefruit League home games.

George M. Steinbrenner Field, which was previously known as Legends Field before the Yankees owner died, is across the highway from Raymond James Stadium and it was originally built in 1996 to be the new spring training home of the Yankees. The Tampa Tarpons also play at the stadium, but the Tarpons draw fewer people than the Yankees do during spring training.

The stadium holds a capacity of 11,026 people, which makes it the largest of the 13 spring training stadiums in Florida. The dimensions of the field are the same as the current Yankee Stadium, which is the same as the stadium it replaced across the street in The Bronx.

Judge, Stanton or Cole made be the current player that officially starts the 5k this year.

Parking will be located across the street in Lot 1 of Raymond James Stadium, which is where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have played their home games since 1998. The Buccaneers play the Rams this Sunday at Raymond James Stadium and if they win then they will advance to the conference championship.

In many previous years, the Yankees have hosted the Runyon 5k at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx. This is a fundraiser and a previous iteration of the Runyon 5k raised an impressive $680,000 for cancer research. This race starts and finishes in Yankee Stadium.

The foundation was formed in 1946, when journalist Walter Winchell wanted to honor his friend Damon Runyon, a sports writer who had covered the Yankees and passed away from cancer. When the new Yankee Stadium was finished n 2009, the team thought the Damon Runyon Foundation as a natural fit for a partnership and loved the idea of hosting a 5k inside the state-of-the-art stadium.

“Yankee Stadium is an iconic stadium, and to be in the new stadium and be able to celebrate it is so much fun,” said Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation president and CEO Lorraine Egan. “We’re so grateful for the Yankees allowing us to do this important race for cancer research.”