On Saturday, April 13, the Stafford Race Series (SRS) begins with the Stafford Hospital Spring Fever 5k and Kids ½ mile Fun Run. This race is the first of four races in SRS and one of 12 races in the Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix. 

SRS promotes community involvement and general wellness. Each of the four races benefits a different organization. April’s Spring Fever will help fund various programs and services at Stafford Hospital. 

This will be the 7th year of the series. Kristen Loescher has been involved since the beginning. In an interview, Loescher said the idea came from a meeting with her and several members of Stafford’s Tourism Department, including current director Lisa Logan. The group embraced the concept of a race series to encourage the community to stay active while also supporting local causes, she explained.

Loescher and her husband founded Arsenal Events in 2020. Arsenal handles race timing and other event logistics for groups planning a race. During the pandemic, race participation numbers dropped. Loescher said many events had caps and other social distancing rules or offered virtual options. As rules relaxed and numbers increased, she saw  “people want to be around other people, they want to be supporting causes, they want to stay active.”

Loescher said she enjoys working with the “amazing supporters over in Stafford Tourism and Economic Development.” For this race, they anticipate around 700 runners. Each race has completion prizes, and runners who finish all four will receive special series swag.

Brad Rippey, a member of Fredericksburg Area Running Club, has completed the series each year. In an email, he said he began running in college in 1985 and began racing in 1990. He began competing in the Fredericksburg Area Running Club’s Coldwell Banker Grand Prix series in 1997 and “it was a natural extension to add the SRS, especially since there is a slight overlap in races,” he wrote. Rippey is approaching his 1,000th race, and said he has finished in the Top Three each year from 2018 to 2023. Rippey noted one of the best parts of organized races like SRS is “seeing everyone joining together for a common cause: to socialize, compete, stay in shape, and raise money for worthy causes.”

Drea Johnson, Special Events and Development Coordinator at Mary Washington and Stafford Hospital Foundations, said the Stafford Hospital race has been part of the Grand Prix series since 2010, and joined SRS in 2019. In her email, Johnson noted the race has raised over $282,000, which supports the hospital’s training, equipment needs, and operational programs. She highlighted the community engagement in this race shown by local companies, schools, and the county government who create teams who participate. The Stafford public school and school district with the largest number of registered participants receive a special award after the 5k, she said.

The Spring Fever race is at Stafford Medical Pavilion, 125 Hospital Center Blvd. The children’s ½ mile Fun Run begins at 8:00 AM and the 5K Run/Walk begins at 8:30. Runners can register online until April 13.