Audrey Gruss’s Race of Hope Returns to Southampton

Written by:

Christine Schott

Photographs by Dan Bassini and Eric Striffler

08/05/2026

Palm Beach’s Audrey Gruss brought a familiar sea of sunshine yellow back to Southampton before most of the village had even finished its morning coffee. More than 1,000 runners, walkers, families, and friends gathered at dawn for the Hope for Depression Research Foundation‘s 11th Annual Race of Hope to Defeat Depression, transforming the streets around Lake Agawam into a moving show of solidarity for a cause that touches millions of lives, often invisibly.

The Race of Hope began in Southampton in 2016, where Gruss has long had a home. Since then, the event has found equally enthusiastic audiences in Palm Beach (which celebrated its eighth annual race on Valentine’s Day) and New York City, creating a three-city series that reflects the communities most closely tied to the philanthropist. More than $5 million has been raised through the Southampton race alone, with every dollar supporting depression research.

The race capped HDRF’s Week of Hope, a village-wide initiative that transformed Southampton into a visible show of solidarity. The foundation’s signature yellow HOPE flags lined storefronts throughout the village, while acclaimed psychologist Dr. Michael Pantalon joined Gruss for the annual Hope Summer Seminar, sharing practical strategies for helping people motivate themselves, and others, to seek meaningful change and make action plans, even for those who are resistant to support.

Serving as Grand Marshal of the USA Track & Field-sanctioned 5K Walk/Run, Gruss welcomed participants to the starting line with a powerful message that underscored the purpose of the morning. “Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and the biggest risk factor for suicide,” she said. “By participating in our Race today, you’re supporting lifesaving research and bringing hope to millions.”

Twenty years after founding the Hope for Depression Research Foundation in memory of her late mother, Hope, who struggled with clinical depression, Gruss has helped direct more than $80 million toward groundbreaking research, supporting an international network of neuroscientists working to develop a new generation of treatments that could transform the lives of millions of people living with depression, and of the families and loved ones who stand beside them.