The first charity Wingathlon will be held on Saturday, May 2, at the Fairfield Hills campus.

Participants may choose from a Family 5K Run/Walk or a competitive Duathlon (5K run/26K cycle/5K run) event around the scenic roads of greater Newtown. Register online at dylanswingsofchange.org.

The duathlon starts promptly at 9 am and is limited to 100 racers. Advanced registration is compulsory. There is no day-of-race registration available for the duathlon. Cost for the dualthlon is $75 per person.

The Family 5K is open to everyone, will be held rain or shine, and starts promptly at 9:30 am.

Cost to participate is $35 for adults, $20 for children.

Maps for each route are available on the Wingathlon website.

The Wingathlon will benefit Dylan’s Wings of Change, a foundation established to honor the life of Dylan Hockley, who was killed in his classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Dylan had autism and his parents, Nicole and Ian, created Dylan’s Wings of Change in order to help children with autism and other related conditions to achieve their full potential.

Ian Hockley, project director and founder of Dylan’s Wings of Change, commented: “We are thrilled to hold the first annual Wingathlon in Newtown. Since Dylan’s death, friends and community members have honored Dylan’s spirit through a number of sporting and physical activities, from yoga to jiu-jitsu and marathons.

“This event is a wonderful way to bring families together in a 5K that anyone can participate in, as well as stage a competitive and challenging duathlon for serious athletes,” Mr Hockley continued. “All funds raised will support Dylan’s Wings of Change programs in the areas of technology, sports and inclusion. Those programs will benefit hundreds of children with autism and give them, and their families, much needed support.”

The Wingathlon includes “swag bags” for the first 500 registrations, including Skullcandy ear buds and Cannondale sports bottles; automatic entry for all participants into a raffle with prizes; chicken wings for all; and medals for finishers, as well as awards for the top three in each age bracket.

In the event of severe weather the race organizers may defer the duathlon to later in the year.

To learn more, visit dylanswingsofchange.org. Dylan’s Wings of Change is a project of the New Venture Fund, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) foundation.

This press release has been updated to reflect the correct day of the event.