Whatever your destination, a local community group hopes you will run to get there. 

Destination Des Moines is sponsoring a virtual marathon for the second year running. 

Called Running of the Flags, the event — which will run from June 5 through July 5 — is intended to increase participants’ sense of community, said Justin Taillon, who is on the board of Destination Des Moines, a local non-profit organization that is organizing the event.

“This event was supposed to start last year, and then COVID hit,” said Taillon, who is also head of the Hospitality and Tourism Program at Highline. “It turned into a virtual run, but if anything, it may have helped us accomplish our goals more.”

Participants will exercise on their own time throughout the month and keep a record of it, he said.

“During the whole month, it doesn’t matter when you run, walk, bike, whatever as long as you do it,” said Taillon. “You can do a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, or ultramarathon. I’m really into running, so I’m going to try for 100 miles in one month.”

He said in addition to the exercise portion people will have the opportunity to visit local businesses and collect a series of stickers, which is where the sense of community comes in. 

“You’ll get a medal, and on the medal there’s places for stickers,” Taillon said. “Every business you go to in downtown Des Moines will give you a sticker, so it’ll look like a rainbow on your medal, basically, and that’s cool, that shows you’ve been to all these community places and you’re a part of the community.”

Many businesses are participating in the event, he said, ranging from restaurants to nail salons, to B & E Meats and Seafood, located on Marine View Drive. Participants will also get a T-shirt, he said.

Taillon said he hopes those who participate develop a renewed appreciation for their home and feel like an important part of their community.

“We want people to realize how cool Des Moines really is,” he said. “I mean, how many people in the world get to live in a first-rate village on the water? That’s a pretty unique thing.”

He said when he moved here from Toronto several years ago and visited the marina for the first time, he knew Des Moines was where he needed to be. 

“This was such a cool place,” Taillon said. “And everything that pulled me to this town is what I want to show people.”

When the marathon took place for the first time last year, it was a success, he said. 

“Last year it worked really well but we didn’t have anywhere near the number of people we were hoping for — if it was a real run,” Taillon said. “For a COVID run, we were very happy with how many people signed up. This year, because everyone enjoyed it so much, we want to grow it and have it throughout the whole community.”

He said he’s hoping to get 250 people to sign up and that he’s especially hoping to spread the word to Highline students. 

“I think it would be really, really cool if we could get students to do this,” said Taillon. “Having been with Destination Des Moines for about six months, I haven’t seen any Highline students anywhere. No one comes to any of our virtual meetings, no one has historically shown up to any of our events, so we need to bridge that gap.”

He said he thinks the event would be particularly beneficial for international students and students living in dorms. 

“What if we were able to get students, especially international students [to sign up], and people who live in our dorms?” Taillon asked. “On campus, we’ve got all these people living in dorms and campus isn’t even open. We need to get people like that involved in the community around them.”

He said that ultimately, the point of the event is simple — to get people out and about and interacting with each other.

“It’s really just about feeling a part of the community,” Taillon said. “And I think it’s what we need in Des Moines. We have so much to learn from each other.”

If you’re interested in signing up for or learning more about the event, click here.

If you have more questions about the event, you can call 206-870-7675 or email info@destinationdesmoines.org.