Inaugural Golden State 5K Race held at Chase Center

SAN FRANCISCO - The inaugural Golden State 5K Race kicked off Sunday morning at 9am with hundreds of people running and walking in the 3.1 race. It was a sold-out event that included wellness activities, music and giveaways. 

"For me, it's home. I live in Sacramento now, so it’s kind of like a home coming for me," said Shane Fandinola, who's from San Francisco. 

Excited and ready to go, hundreds of people gathered at Chase Center for the first Golden State 5k Race.

"When the Warriors announced they were going to have their first, inaugural 5K, I was like, yeah, sign me up. What a great location to have it," said Ann Radock, of South San Francisco.

Before the race, people gathered at the starting point for a pep talk from former Warriors' player Festus Ezeli and KTVU’s own Meteorologist Roberta Gonzales, who also participated in the race.

People ran or walked 5 kilometers or 3.1 miles along the Bay at their own pace.

After the race, everyone gathered at Thrive City to cool down, enjoy the activities and find out who won the race."

"I’ve been running since high school and college. I live in the neighborhood here, and I run past Chase Center every morning," said Justin Wasielewski, of San Francisco. 

Wasielewski took first place by running the Golden State 5K race in 17 minutes and 21 seconds. He says it felt great to be a part of something in his own community.

"So, I was excited when I had a race that was in the neighborhood with people I know and see every day. It’s something the city really needs right now, just getting people out together and celebrating something like this," said Wasielewski. 

"It’s been an amazing collaboration with Kaiser Permanente across our entire organization: the Valkyries, the Warriors, Generation Thrive, Santa Cruz. It’s been amazing and, as you can see, it’s been a great day," said Donna Daniels, Chase Center General Manager. 

The day also included wellness activities, a stretch station from Kaiser Permanente, giveaways, a live performance from Bay Area DJ, DJ NOODLES. With the Warriors set to take on the Houston Rockets on Sunday, people were also excited about how they’re playing this season.

"I think Jimmy is the blessing that we need. He’s the right key that we wanted. I was a fan of his when he was in Miami and Chicago. So, coming to the Warriors, it’s just the perfect fit," said Steve Lau, of San Francisco. 

Organizers say they hope the Golden State 5K race becomes a premier Thrive City event that continues to bring the community together.