4,000 workers from 130 companies to race at Onondaga Lake Park

More than 4,100 employees from 135 companies turned Onondaga Lake Park into a snapshot of Syracuse-area employer culture Tuesday, from Syracuse University and National Grid to Upstate Medical University and Lockheed Martin. The annual Syracuse WorkForce Run showed how corporate pride, charity and networking now overlap in one crowded lakefront evening, while also sending a clear signal to commuters around Route 370.

The practical impact reached far beyond the finish line. Route 370, also known as Onondaga Lake Parkway, was closed between Park Street and Oswego Street from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and parking and shuttle service were arranged through Destiny USA. For anyone moving through Liverpool or trying to reach the park, the race created a full-day detour around one of the county’s most visible recreation corridors.

The turnout marked another step in the event’s post-rebrand growth. The Syracuse WorkForce Run traces its roots to 1982, when it began as the Corporate Challenge, and organizers describe it as a 37-year tradition in Central New York. After becoming the WorkForce Run in 2021, the race had 3,240 employees from 114 companies in 2025, and organizers said participation had risen more than 10 percent each year since 2022.

The 2026 field showed how broad that employer mix has become. Along with Onondaga County itself, some of the largest groups came from Syracuse City School District, Baldwinsville schools, Belden, Community Financial System and Crouse Health. That lineup made the event more than a simple race: it functioned as a civic roll call for the region’s largest public and private employers.

Under normal conditions, the WorkForce Run is a 5K scheduled for 6:45 p.m., with company tents and post-race hospitality built around the course. Heat changed that plan this year, and organizers shortened the race to a 2-mile walk while keeping the evening gathering intact. The event also supported Ronald McDonald House of Central New York, which provides temporary housing for families of seriously ill children receiving medical care in Syracuse, and it listed JPMorgan Chase as a sponsor.

For a few hours each June, Onondaga Lake Park becomes more than a park. It becomes a measure of how deeply Syracuse’s institutions, schools, hospitals and employers still choose to show up together.