Boston Theater Company (BTC), the organization that produced “Finish Line: A Documentary Play About the 2013 Boston Marathon,” and the Artist Athletic Association (AAA) have announced the first-ever 5K road race in Massachusetts, Road of Rainbows, on Sunday, Oct. 31, at the Boston Common. The road race is not only the first of its kind for the LGBTQ+ community but it also aims to break down the barriers between athletics and the arts as its fundraising goal is to support the arts community.
The Artist Athletic Association (AAA) consists of artists and supporters of the arts who believe in teamwork, dedication, and commitment. The mission of AAA is to promote health and wellness through physical activity, believing that the arts and athletics are for people of all genders, races, abilities, sexual preferences, classes and identities. The beneficiary of the 2021 Road of Rainbows will be the play The Gay Agenda, BTC’s newest piece which hosted virtual previews last September that offers an inside look at what it is like to identify as LGBTQ+ in today’s world using words taken directly from interviews.
Producing Artistic Director of Boston Theater Company Joey Frangieh shares, “This has been a passion project for us at BTC since 2019 when we dreamt of creating a 5k that was as much about being inclusive as it was about showing off everyone’s inner unicorn.” Frangieh continues, “We created the Artistic Athletic Association to be the first association of its kind to break down the boundaries between athletics and the arts – we hope that Road of Rainbows will be an annual event that continues to confront and challenge the constructed binary imposed between artists and athletes.”
Road of Rainbows also has five Counselors overseeing the 5K road race. The counselors are a group of folks with oversight, veto and decision power tasked to help ensure Road of Rainbows is an inclusive event.
To register for the Road of Rainbows 5k, standard registration costs are $35 (a true cost ticket can be purchased at $50 as well as a student or subsidized ticket at $20) A VIRTUAL running ticket is also available for folks who are outside of Massachusetts or for those who may not be able to attend in person, tickets are $20 and include a mailed goody bag upon completion. BTC is also committed to making this event economically inclusive and will set aside free to low-cost tickets for folks who request them. To register for the event, visit Bostontheater.org/ror.