From Chelsea Rinnig. Email her at chelsea[AT]borderstan.com.

At the crack of dawn, at night beneath the streetlights or on a sunny weekend afternoon, DC sidewalks teem with runners of all stripes — from the ultra-marathoner to the slow and steady beginner.

However, with a culture of reckless driving and blatant jaywalking, few recognize the serious danger of the sport, plugging a pair of headphones in a zoning out. This is part of the impetus that drove Borderstan resident Drew Litowitz and his local family members to create an event to benefit pedestrian and runner safety and awareness on our streets.

Long May You Run will take place this Saturday at 12:30 pm at the Hamilton Theater (600 14th Street NW) and feature live performances by Ana Egge, Anne McCue, Mary Battiata & Little Pink, Eric Brace, Doughboys, The Candles (members of Norah Jones’ band) and Derek Evry.

The event will honor Karen Dubin — a runner who, careful as she was, still suffered a tragic death while out on an afternoon run due to a neglectful truck-driver. Her cousin and drummer of Phish, Jon Fishman, will also perform alongside the Norah Jones band.

Litowitz believes that not only should the city’s signage improve, but also that those on the streets need to increase their awareness of danger in a highly-trafficked, urban settings.

“We need to improve awareness, both of the pedestrian safety laws and of how to behave, as a driver or a pedestrian. It’s a face-paced, busy world, and sometimes we forget how to protect ourselves and prevent accidents,” he says.

$75 buys entry for general admits, but students and young professionals receive a discounted price of $25 and $35, respectively; kids attend free. Purchase of a ticket includes not only admittance to the concert and a cash bar, but also includes lunch courtesy of the Hamilton.

Posters for the event are also available for purchase both online and on the day of the event. All proceeds will be donated to the Road Runners Club of America and go towards increasing awareness and supporting advertisement campaigns to help prevent further accidents.

Overall, the goal of the event is to bring people together in a lighter environment, says Litowitz. “We hope people leave with high spirits and a willingness to try to improve their alertness and efforts to protect themselves and others on the road. More than anything else, we hope the money we raise will go towards increasing awareness and supporting advertisement campaigns to help prevent further accidents.”

Visit the website to purchase tickets and view special offers available to those who want to contribute more by tax-deductible donations.

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