Runners Brave The Cold In Onesies At Mahwah 5K

MAHWAH, NJ – Dozens of runners donned onesies to brave the cold and participate in a 5k run on Saturday morning.

Held in Mahwah at Ramapo Valley County Reservation, 83 runners between the ages of 7 and 87 years old showed up in their warmest pajamas for the first annual Squatchy Onesie Fest 5k-Marathon.

Click here to see a video of Saturday's run.

Hosted by Sassquad Trail Running, Saturday’s event benefited the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, a non-profit organization made up of volunteers that work to maintain, preserve and protect over 2,000 miles of trails in the two states.

The group regularly hosts “fun trail running events” around New Jersey that celebrate “every runner and every mile,” Kim Levinsky of Sassquad Trail Running said.

“All paces and abilities can achieve their running goals at our trail races! Our goal is to put on unique trail events that are accessible to runners of all ages and abilities. We love having brand new trail runners toe the same starting line with seasoned ultra marathoners," she said.

The idea for a onesie 5k came about "in the wee hours of the morning during one of our overnight events last June," Levinsky said.

"We thought it would be really funny to have a race where everyone comes dressed in a onesie,” she said, “Eight months later, we hosted the first annual Squatchy Onesie Fest 5K-Marathon.”

The group hosts more than 10 races a year throughout New Jersey. A full list of events can be found here.