RICHMOND, Va. — The 4th annual Run Richmond 16.19 event gave participants a chance to run or walk through historic areas that highlight the River City's history.
The event on Saturday serves as a living outdoor museum where people can experience culture and learn history while getting exercise.
FULL INTERVIEW: Actor Djimon Hounsou says 'inspiring' 16.19 run is about 'remembrance and healing'
Runners on the symbolic 16.19-kilometer course, which is just over 10 miles, experienced the places where enslaved Africans took their first steps on American soil after being brought to Richmond.
"From the rolling start to 'The Hill We Climb,' every step carries the weight of history and the promise of progress," reads a description of the event. "Run with purpose. Finish transformed."
Two-time Oscar-nominated actor and humanitarian Djimon Hounsou, who started the event, said the city's slave trail provides both a look at the past and a path forward.
"It's great to honor the past and to learn from it and to, hopefully, to have a common ground on which to reflect on where we've been and where we're heading tomorrow," Hounsou said.
VIDEO VAULT: Actor Djimon Hounsou says 16.19 run highlights 'struggles and achievements'
Mayor Danny Avula shared similar thoughts, saying 16.19 is an event that can help people learn from history to create a better future.
Richmond was the largest slave-trading center in the Upper South, according to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. It is estimated that up to 2 million people were sold from Richmond to the Deep South. In 1860, there were 550,000 enslaved people living in Virginia.
READ MORE: Visualizing the Richmond Slave Trade
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