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Shana Elkind and a group of friends had planned to run the "See Me" 5K Saturday at Hopkinton State Park alongside Kelly Sugarman, but not in her memory.
Sugarman was found dead in her Grafton home last month. Her husband, Michael Sugarman, has been charged with her murder.
"Kelly really wanted to run it," said Elkind, who grew up in Framingham and now lives in New York. "This was a cause very important to her."
Sugarman was the billing coordinator at Advocates Inc., a Framingham agency that helps people with mental illness and hosts the race every year to further raise awareness.
After crossing the finish line, Elkind quickly grabbed a tissue as she joined others in the group.
"It is important for me to bring awareness," she said later in an interview.
Jennifer Kuhl, of Milford, said Sugarman was one of her "running buddies." The group ran wearing pins that read: "Kelly Strong."
"I tried to make it a happier event and run for her," she said.
Saturday marked the third annual "See Me" 5K run/walk at Hopkinton State Park hosted by Advocates. The proceeds go directly to the Michael Jones Memorial Recovery Fund.
About 180 completed the race, according to racewire.com. More participated in a kids fun run and family members and others lined the finish line to cheer on runners.
"We had a good turnout," said Diane Gould, president and CEO of Advocates. "It was nice and cool and everyone had a great time."
Before the race, Gould noted that May is mental health awareness month.
"An estimated 60 million people in the U.S. experience serious emotional distress and mental health challenges," she said. "The biggest barrier to seeking, accepting, finding or receiving help is fear. Fear of being labeled. Fear of discrimination and fear of losing autonomy."
Gould said the race this year was also in memory of Sugarman.
"We lost Kelly about three weeks ago," she said. "We are remembering her today for her joy, sense of humor, kindness and her appetite for food and for life and for her enthusiasm for this event."
Justin Whitney, 36, of Douglas won the race with a time of 19 minutes and 13 seconds. The first female finisher was Shari Orlando from Framingham coming in at 22 minutes 52 seconds.
Shawn and Gina Lynch of Holliston said they found out about the race looking for a fun run for their daughter Annabelle, 9. Their two other children, Jake, 10, and Kadence, 7, jumped in at the last minute.
