Ain't no 5K like a Scranton 5K: 'Office' themed run to benefit Valley In Motion projects

May 3—Lace up your running sneakers, but go easy on the fettuccine alfredo.

The 5K race themed after "The Office" — NBC's hit workplace comedy set in Scranton — returns Saturday, May 6, for its second season, marking a decade since "The Office" Wrap Party brought cast and crew from the mockumentary sitcom to the Electric City ahead of its series finale.

The 5K fundraiser for nonprofit Valley In Motion started last year and welcomed a sea of runners dressed as beloved characters from fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Co., like Michael Scott (and his alter ego, Prison Mike), Dwight Schrute and Pam Beesley.

Valley In Motion President Gus Fahey said it was such a good time, they had to do it again.

"It's fun and it celebrates Scranton's connection to 'The Office,'" he said. "It's still a very popular show on streaming. So you have one generation, you could say, of people who watched it originally, but then for the last 10 years it's been on streaming, and there's more people that are discovering it for the first time."

"The Office" 5K parodies the Season 4 "Fun Run" episode in which Michael organizes "Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For The Cure" and barely reaches the finish line after "carbo-loading" on fettuccine alfredo and refusing to drink any water. The series ran for nine seasons from 2005 to 2013.

The race starts at 1 p.m. in the 500 block of Linden Street. Runners will pass locations featured in the series, such as the Penn Paper tower and Cooper's Seafood House. The route also includes a chance to see the Dwight mural at On&On. Walkers can enjoy a 1-mile route with activities along the way.

A block party and awards will follow, with additional celebrations at Backyard Ale House, 523 Linden St., and Cooper's Seafood House, 701 N. Washington Ave. Runners can register online at runsignup.com/theoffice for $25 through Thursday, May 4, at 11:59 p.m.

Registration the day of the race from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. costs $30. Participants can pick up their packets then, or during a pre-race party at Cooper's Seafood House on Friday, May 5, from 5 to 7 p.m.

It's a family-friendly event, and organizers added more activities for children this year, Fahey said.

Among the day's photo-ops, Fahey said fans of "The Office" can pose with the oversized "Dundie Award" that NBC's streaming service Peacock presented to the city in 2021. Once again, Valley In Motion will hand out prizes for the best costumes.

Last year's race drew in around 350 participants, and organizers expect 500 this year if the weather holds up. People from as far as Idaho and Michigan registered for the race, he said.

Organizers plan to hand out "The Office" Self-Guided Tour maps from the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau in hopes that out-of-towners especially will explore the city, Fahey said.

Proceeds from the race benefit Valley In Motion, which focuses on fostering community and quality of life in the Lackawanna Valley through its projects. Right now, the organization is leading efforts to install pedestrian and biking paths around the historic Scranton Iron Furnaces.

"We're calling them Electric City Trails to get people to walk and bike from the Heritage Trail to the Iron Furnaces to downtown and up to Nay Aug Park," Fahey said.

Other ongoing efforts include a Community Schoolyards project to transform play areas at three Scranton elementary schools, a community well being project at Connell Park in Scranton and a Forest City Main Street façade improvement program, Fahey said.

For more information, visit valleyinmotion.org or the organization's Facebook page.

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