The Somerville Homeless Coalition’s 31st annual Road Race hits the streets on Saturday, October 3.

By Claire Q. Wood

On October 3, the Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) will host their 31st annual Road Race. The 5k serves as a community event as well as a fundraiser.

“Technically it’s our 30th year, but this will be our 31st race. It started back in 1996 and has evolved over time. It’s a great community event,” Executive Director Michael Libby said. Libby has held the position for eight years and has been with SHC for 27.

“The Road Race is just a really great opportunity for people to come together,” Libby said. “There are walkers. There are runners. Community supporters that help us throughout the year all come.”

SHC provides a myriad of services in Davis Square and throughout Somerville. Their main offices as well as their emergency shelter are both located in or near Davis Square, and their food pantry, Project Soup, is located in East Somerville. They also provide case management to families, grocery deliveries, community meals, and operate an engagement center for anyone seeking housing assistance.

Government funding isn’t enough to maintain all of SHC’s operations throughout the year; to that end, the 5k is one of two big fundraising events to help fill in the gaps.

“Government funding makes up about 75 to 80 percent of our funding, and we have to raise about 20 to 25 percent in order to make us fully able to operate the most effective programs to serve the community, and typically that’s anywhere between 1.5 to 2 million dollars,” Libby said.

The Road Race is one of SHC’s signature fundraising events aiming to help close that gap. Libby shared that this year SHC aims to raise $50,000 or more.

“We typically get about 500 runners,” Libby said.

Libby also emphasized how essential community engagement is to the success of SHC, both through the Road Race as well as year-round.

“I think it’s always key to remind people that [community support] is a critical part of helping us be successful and being able to live up the values of the city,” Libby said. “It’s such a caring and compassionate local community, which makes our life a lot, a lot easier. In terms of fundraising, we rely on that support.”

The 5k begins at 9 a.m. and starts and finishes in Davis Square on October 3rd, 2026. You can register to run or walk the Road Race on the SHC website: https://somervillehomelesscoalition.org/.