Former UConn basketball standout Donny Marshall is lacing up again this weekend, hosting the fourth annual Donny’s Dash 5K run and one-mile fitness walk through Simsbury on Sunday, October 25. The Halloween-themed event, nicknamed the Scary Good Fall Run, starts at Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center and benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford.
The race is produced by the Hartford Marathon Foundation and takes place on a flat, lollipop-style course that is certified by USA Track & Field, according to Hartford Marathon Foundation. This year’s event is sponsored in part by Hartford HealthCare, and it is open to participants of all abilities, ages and fitness levels, whether they want to run or walk the course. As the Hartford Courant reports, the dash marks its fourth year winding through the Farmington Valley.
Costumes are encouraged and rewarded: the event awards prizes for the most inventive Halloween attire, with Bevin Bell and Fleet Feet West Hartford/Glastonbury providing prizes for runners and walkers. Participants aged 21 and older also receive free Lawson’s Finest Liquids after crossing the finish line.
Free Entry for Kids and Club Youth
Families are a major focus of the event. Children 16 and younger can run the 5K for free, while kids ages 2 to 11 can join the free Hartford Yard Goats Fun Run, according to Patch. The race also gives Boys & Girls Clubs youth, often referred to as Club Kids, a chance to take part in the fundraising event alongside the broader community.
Donny Marshall, the UConn men’s basketball legend behind the event, has said he recognizes the importance of providing a positive and safe place for Hartford’s youth, inviting people to join the fall run and walk. Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam echoed that sentiment in a release, saying the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford’s work engaging young people is important to the community, and that partners are supporting Donny’s Dash to continue that work.
SoleFest Caps Off the Morning
Once runners and walkers cross the finish line, the celebration continues with a post-race SoleFest featuring food, music and entertainment hosted by iHeartMedia, Highland Park Market and Dunkin', per the same Patch account. The event also includes a children’s fun run alongside the main 5K and one-mile walk.
Last year’s race drew more than 400 runners, including 80 Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford youth, making 2025 the largest Donny’s Dash on record, according to the Connecticut Sun. That course, like this year’s, wound past scenic views of Simsbury and the Farmington River.
Fleet Feet Hartford has sponsored Donny’s Dash since its inception four years ago, according to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, and the 2025 race was professionally managed by the Hartford Marathon Foundation. Registration for Sunday’s run is limited, and organizers are encouraging individuals and teams to sign up in advance at hartfordmarathon.com.
