DETROIT – A free Juneteenth 5K scheduled to take place in Detroit Wednesday evening has been postponed due to hot weather.
A 5K meant to commemorate Juneteenth, was initially scheduled for 6 p.m.-8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19 in Detroit’s New Center neighborhood. However, officials announced Wednesday morning that the 5K was postponed “due to weather.”
---> Will Jones: What Juneteenth means to me
A new event date had not been set as of Wednesday. Those behind the 5K -- which includes the Detroit Pistons, Henry Ford Health, Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, and WERUN313 -- were expected to “reach out again when it has been rescheduled,” a press release said Wednesday.
The postponement comes amid a heat wave that’s taken hold of Southeast Michigan. Excessive heat warnings in place for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties were downgraded to heat advisories on Wednesday, but the heat still rages on.
High temperatures were expected to reach the low to mid-90s in the Detroit area on Wednesday. Temperatures were expected to feel even warmer with humidity factored in.
---> Forecast: Heat advisory in place across Metro Detroit: What to know
The heat has also led to air quality issues across Metro Detroit this week, as hot temperatures mix with pollutants to create “bad ozone.” An air quality alert has been issued for Thursday, June 20, with air quality expected to reach the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range.
Click here for an in-depth look at the poorer air quality and why it’s problematic.
The 5K was expected to take runners and walkers on a route that “highlights several historical stops” in the New Center neighborhood. Among those spaces are the Wright Museum of African American History, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity House and Detroit Association of Women’s Clubs.