Mercy marks 150 years with zoo race, walk in Baltimore

Mercy Health Services turned the Maryland Zoo into a neighborhood gathering place Sunday, staging its inaugural Mercy Race for the Future 5K and 1-mile Walk as part of the system’s 150th anniversary celebration. The event brought together patients, caregivers, employees and family members at one of Baltimore’s most familiar attractions, giving the race a family-friendly setting that fit Mercy’s effort to make the day feel both celebratory and public-facing.

At the center of the event was a simple civic message: Mercy wants its anniversary to mean more than a look back. Under the leadership of President and CEO Dr. David N. Maine, the health system said the money raised will support programs and initiatives that expand access to care, advance medical innovation and strengthen the communities it serves. In a city where families often weigh whether they can get timely care close to home, that mission gives the race practical weight beyond the finish line.

Mercy’s roots date to 1874, when the Sisters of Mercy began the work that would grow into Mercy Medical Center and, later, Mercy Health Services. The 5K and walk tied that history to the present in a way that was easy to see on the zoo grounds: runners, walkers and families moving together through a public space that already draws Baltimore residents looking for an affordable day outdoors. The zoo setting also made the event feel accessible, especially for people who wanted to support Mercy without signing up for a competitive race.

The location added another layer of local symbolism. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is celebrating its own 150th anniversary in 2026, after first opening its gates in 1876. Its year-long slate includes an April 7 celebration, a Stoop Storytelling event, Zoomerang on June 12 and the opening of a new red panda habitat early this summer. With Mercy and the zoo both marking major milestones, Sunday’s race connected two long-running Baltimore institutions in one visible downtown event, underscoring how health care, civic life and neighborhood identity still overlap in the city.