The Ryan Shaw Memorial 5k 2026

The Ryan Shaw Memorial 5K is a run/walk along the Charles River in Boston, beginning at 1255 Soldiers Field Road in Brighton. The Boston chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha hosts it in memory of Ryan Scott Shaw of Wakefield, a Northeastern student who died at 18 shortly after a bacterial meningitis diagnosis. Runners, joggers, and walkers participate, making it function more like a community 5K than an event solely for fast times. The course is a simple 5K along the river, with the Northeastern community significantly contributing to the field and atmosphere. Proceeds benefit The Ryan Shaw Foundation, and the event has raised over $1 million for charity, providing Ryan’s friends and family a public way to keep his name remembered. A personal detail is Ryan’s first year at Northeastern: he studied abroad in Dublin through the N.U.in program, forming a close group of friends, including Brendan Slattery, who recalled their shared interest in Boston sports and watching Patriots games together.