Recovery Through Repetition (RTR) is inviting the community to lace up their sneakers for the RTR 5K for Recovery, happening May 16 at 8 a.m. at the Boca Raton Innovation Campus.
More than a race, the event is a community wide show of support. It helps raise funds for RTR’s recovery focused fitness scholarships and continues the organization’s mission of connection, hope, and healing.
RTR has spent the last decade building a safe, welcoming space for people in recovery. They offer free, accessible workouts that help participants strengthen both body and mind.
“Every week there is a free yoga workout on Monday evenings… and every Friday night there is a free workout, for the entire recovery community,” said Jodi Renert, an RTR board member. “For almost the first year of my sobriety, I spent every Monday night in that room. It was a big part of keeping me sober.”
“RTR was founded about ten years ago… trying to get together and build some kind of community and actually do something healthy on a Friday night,” said Octavio Cifuentes, co-founder and president of RTR’s board. “Instead of people hanging out in the hours of making bad choices, we decided… meet up and have a free workout for anybody in the recovery community.”
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Over time, RTR has grown into a powerful support system across South Florida, offering consistent, no cost fitness opportunities and making sure participants don’t have to navigate recovery alone.
“Fitness is not only just getting the mind right or the body, but it’s also the spirit and it’s not feeling alone,” Cifuentes said. “Friday nights alone get really, really dark sometimes… there’s a community out here… and we do recover.”
Proceeds from the RTR 5K for Recovery help fund RTR scholarships for men and women in the sober community who want to take the next step in fitness and service.
Last year’s race brought out more than 650 participants, a number that reflected the reach of RTR’s mission and the power of community support.
“We were blown away by that number,” Cifuentes said. “But more importantly… it wasn’t just runners...walkers, walking your dog, kids… business owners, moms, dads, cousin,everybody came together and showed up.”
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Renert hopes the race continues to grow this year, potentially to 1,000 participants or more, but says the true goal is connection.
“It’s really not about the numbers,” she said. “It’s the community… seeing the hundreds and hundreds of people come out to show their support, there’s nothing that can make you smile more than that.”
Cifuentes echoed the message for anyone who thinks a 5K isn’t for them.
“It’s not about running. It’s about not being alone,” he said. “Whether you’re in recovery or not if you’re struggling with mental health, life gets hard. There’s people out here and we do it together.”
How to register
Participants can register through RunSignUp and on Recovery Through Repetition’s website and Instagram.
The RTR 5K for Recovery is open to runners, walkers, families, friends, and anyone who believes in supporting recovery and shining a light on mental health.
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