Elizabethtown, N.Y. -- The University of Vermont Health Network - Elizabethtown Community Hospital Auxiliary announced today the annual Doc Lopez Run for Health is scheduled for Sunday, May 1, 2022. The event, which will be held in person for the first time in two years, features a half marathon and 5K.

Registration for the Doc Lopez Run for Health is open and race organizers expect a good turnout. Sue Allott, race director and daughter of Doc Lopez for whom the race is named, says she expects the new race date to be a draw for those preparing for late-spring marathons. “The Doc Lopez race has always been for the hardy, especially in years past when the event was held in March and temperatures could be at or below freezing. The half marathon course will still be a challenge for runners, with the two-mile climb up Spruce Hill, and the timing will make it ideal for anyone training for a late-May or June marathon.”

According to Allott, race organizers are excited to welcome participants back to this beloved local event after hosting the race virtually for two years. Dynamic bib assignment, disbursed packet pickup, and “goodies to go” will limit crowds at the outdoor event, and masks will be required indoors and on shuttles to protect participants. “Now that there is a better understanding of the virus and the precautions necessary to host a COVID-safe event, we are thrilled to be able to invite athletes to come together to get moving outdoors for a good cause.”

Proceeds from the 2022 Doc Lopez Run for Health will go toward farm shares for people in need. ECH Auxiliary President Laura Sells-Doyle said, “we want to strengthen the connection between our neighbors in need and the fresh, nutritious foods grown right here in the Champlain Valley. The money we raise through the Doc Lopez race will go to making organic produce from farms in the region available to people who can’t afford to buy it. So, while they are doing something healthy for themselves, runners will also be helping to provide healthy food for families and supporting a healthy local economy.”

For more than two decades, the Elizabethtown Community Hospital Auxiliary has raised funds that support patient care, both inside and beyond the walls of the hospital. The volunteer group has purchased thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment and patient care items and has supported population health initiatives like the hospital’s food pantry in Crown Point.

“With the generous support of local businesses and individuals, we can keep event costs to a minimum and allow for more of the funds raised to go directly to farm shares for folks in need,” said Sells-Doyle. “We are grateful to our committed sponsors for their support of this event and welcome contributions from businesses and individuals.”

More than 40 Years Running

The Doc Lopez Run for Health half marathon is an exciting race on a gorgeous stretch of mountain roads between the communities of Keene Valley and Elizabethtown, New York. Athletes of all levels will enjoy the 5K run/walk on a fairly flat out and back course in Elizabethtown. The community support, aid stations, and complementary chili have long been runner favorites. The event attracts well over 150 runners from as far away Western New York, Albany, Vermont, and Canada.

Dr. Robert “Doc” Lopez was a veterinarian and accomplished runner from Westport. Doc started a special tradition when he carried the torch for the 1980 Winter Olympics through Westport and Elizabethtown. Running up and over Adirondack “hills” became the foundation for the running event, which has changed routes and expanded over the years. The race has been held since 1980 to benefit the health of the local community.

To register for the 2022 Doc Lopez Run for Health, visit RunSignUp.com.

To support the event as a volunteer or sponsor, please email Elizabeth Rogers at erogers@ech.org.

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About Elizabethtown Community Hospital

The University of Vermont Health Network - Elizabethtown Community Hospital is a designated critical access hospital and the primary health care provider serving residents in Essex County and northern Warren and Washington Counties in New York.

Elizabethtown Community Hospital is transforming rural health care at its main campus in Elizabethtown, NY, at a new emergency department and outpatient center in Ticonderoga, NY, and at six community-based primary health care centers located throughout the region. The hospital is one of the community’s largest employers with 350 employees.

Across the Elizabethtown and Ticonderoga campuses, the hospital maintains two 24-hour emergency rooms, a 25-bed inpatient unit, physical therapy, laboratory, and digital radiology departments; and a variety of specialty physician clinics on a weekly and monthly basis.  

Elizabethtown Community Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission and is licensed and certified by the New York State Department of Health and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

About The University of Vermont Health Network
The University of Vermont Health Network is an academic health system that is comprised of six affiliate hospitals, a multi-specialty medical group, and a home health agency. We serve the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives.  Our partners include:

• The University of Vermont Medical Center  
• The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health and Hospice

Our 4,000 health care professionals are driven to provide high quality, cost-efficient care as close to home as possible. Strengthened by our academic connection to the University of Vermont, each of our hospitals remains committed to its local community by providing compassionate, personal care shaped by the latest medical advances and delivered by highly skilled experts.