James D. Hill Run to Read - Scranton, Pennsylvania - Running

The James D. Hill Run to Read is a Running race in Scranton, Pennsylvania consisting of a 5K.

Join us for a fun 5K run all while supporting the James D. Hill Memorial Fund at the Albright Memorial Library and Reading is Fundamental! All those that knew Jim Hill well, knew his first and deepest love was for his family. But they also likely got dragged to a race or had to hear about a book or article, since he was eager to share his love for running and reading. His favorite part of road races was the sense of community and camaraderie; he was more than happy to start at the back of the pack and take his time. It was more about connecting and meeting new people than setting or breaking records. He participated in hundreds of races over the years, ranging from 5Ks to full marathons, even finishing the Steamtown Marathon in 2010 at age 67.

He loved libraries so much that we have pictures of him in front of countless libraries visited on trips all over the U.S. and a few in other countries. After he passed, people made donations to the Albright Memorial Library in his memory and in turn, the library set up the James D. Hill Memorial Fund. That generosity planted a seed for us to continue and grow Jim's legacy by organizing this race in his honor.

He would be flashing his bright smile to know that we are doing this, and especially for the benefit of children's literacy. He always loved and connected with kids and in fact, was a big kid himself - the below photo was taken at the Anastasia Island Branch of the St. John's County Public Library. It was his first time volunteering there and when they asked him to dress up for Halloween, he waddled right up!

Jim was the sweetest and most selfless man we'll ever know. We lost him three years ago after he suffered a heart attack during a 5K race in Scranton, PA. Along the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, you will find a tree we planted with a plaque in his memory.

Please join us in celebrating Jim and his love for life, running and reading!