Getting to know our City better from the ground up.
In 2021, Boca Raton City Councilman Andy Thomson set out to get to know the city even better, one road at a time. Thomson challenged himself to run every street in the City he serves – all 475 miles– by the end of 2021, picking up trash as he went along. Hundreds of volunteers assisted in the effort and helped Andy collect nearly 1,300 pounds of trash as part of the initiative. Since then, Andy has continued to run his city – and keep it cleaner and safer.
Cleaner Streets Since 2019
The idea to pick up trash while jogging started on New Year’s Day 2019, when Andy made a resolution to run more. On his first run, he noticed all sorts of trash on the streets, so he began bringing a trash bag and cleaning up the streets on his morning runs. He later started bringing his kids, who love the experience and help point out trash as they go. Since 2019, Andy and his kids have cleaned thousands of pounds of trash from Boca Raton’s streets.
By running each street
we can run a better City.
The past two years have reminded us of our love for community and the desire to be outdoors. After COVID-19, Andy headed out to see what was working and what wasn’t. Boca Raton is a world-class city that is constantly improving, and Andy leads with the mentality that even the best can be better.
Along the way, Andy expected to confront challenges both big and small: from more complex issues like traffic congestion to little fixes like potholes and cracked sidewalks. He took notes and identified numerous safety improvements to our roadways, and has now set out to run the city again.
Photo Gallery
Overall Statistics
615.00
total miles run
1.29
times around the City
2,431.67
pounds of trash cleaned
592
pieces of PPE picked up
1,012
volunteers
488
safety improvements identified
Track Our
Progress.
- Streets Remaining
- Streets Completed
Recent/Upcoming Schedule
May 23: Spanish River Blvd. and A1A with Boca Run Club ✅
July 4: FAU with City of Boca Raton Firecracker 5K ✅
August 31: St. Andrews Corridor with Christ Fellowship ✅
September 21: RunTheCity Virtual 5K all across Boca Raton ✅
November 2: Boca Square with Addison Mizner School PTA ✅
December 7: River Run 5K ✅
Step Up. Join Andy.
As he works his way across Boca Raton, Andy Thomson is connecting with residents to discuss neighborhood issues. As we run (or walk), we’ll clean our streets and collaborate on real solutions to the challenges we face. In the meantime, stay tuned as we develop neighborhood routes and partnerships. If you’re interested in running, walking, or just saying hello, sign up below:
“Even a City as beautiful as Boca Raton has room to improve, whether it’s by addressing issues affecting your neighborhood or just by being a little cleaner.”
-Andy Thomson
