The 2020 Gaspee Days 5K Road Race was recently canceled as an in-person event due to the COVID-19 crisis, but plans are now in place for it to move to a virtual platform.

The date is Saturday, June 13, and participants can register online at gaspee.com/events/5k for $28. From there, participants will be able to download their race bib and order a T-shirt that will be sent to them within five to seven business days.

Racers will also be encouraged to post videos of their race on the committee’s social media, whether it be running, walking or biking. Those who participate in the virtual event may also upload their races on days other than the scheduled June 13 date.

“We unfortunately had to cancel our annual 5K, but it was Roger Farren and Matthew Tsimikas’ idea to make it a virtual 5K. Other organizations have been doing them quite successfully so we said, ‘Let’s jump on board with this,’” said Gina Dooley, president of the Gaspee Days Committee. “It’s a way to keep the Gaspee spirit alive and to get people involved and to make them think, ‘We’re doing this for Gaspee.’ People can do it however they want, wherever they want, with all proceeds going toward the Gaspee committee. We want to keep the Gaspee spirit alive in what would have been our season.”

Although the committee may not reach it’s typical total for participants, Dooley and company hope to see the community come together and make this virtual race one to remember.

“We’re not sure what to expect but so far we have gotten a lot of registrations and positive responses. Even a few hundred people would be fantastic. We usually have around 1,600 people running, so to have even half or a quarter of that would be great. We want to keep the spirit alive, you get a great T-shirt. It was so heartbreaking to have to cancel everything, so everything that we can do to keep Gaspee out there is preferential to nothing at all,” Dooley said.

Dooley also gave credit to Farren and Tsimikas for their hard work in making another successful race despite the current conditions.

“It’s a well-oiled machine, and although it’s a different format this year, it’s got the same spirit behind it. I want to give Roger and Matthew Tsmikas all the credit, those two have been a force for the past 18, 19 years that they have been doing this road race. I want to give them credit for their enthusiasm to keep it going,” Dooley said.