Run Brave 5K
Run Brave 5K logo

Run Brave 5K

Charlottesville, Virginia, United States View on map
Sep 13, 2026 (America/New_York local time)
Running

About this race

Since 2009, what began as the Splash 5K has been the Ishan Gala Foundation's signature annualย fundraiser โ€” bringing together families, businesses, and community members in support of childrenย and families battling cancer. Originally held as a pool party at ACAC Waterpark in honor of Ishanย Gala's birthday, the event evolved over the years to meet a growing community of supporters.

In 2015, the event expanded to include a 5K run/walk, which quickly grew into the centerpiece of the celebration. As the event continued to evolve, so did its identity.

This year, we are proud to introduce the newly rebranded Run Brave 5K โ€” a name that better reflects the courage, resilience, and strength of the children and families at the heart of our mission.ย Held on a scenic paved course at Darden Towe Park, Run Brave 5K offers an inspiring,ย family-friendly experience for participants of all ages.

The morning will also feature a Kids Dash before the race, prizes for top finishers, sponsor booths,ย games, and activities โ€” all designed to bring our community together. Run Brave 5K is more than aย race; it is a celebration of hope, courage, and community support for families facing pediatricย cancer.

About IGF:

IGF was founded by Mayank and Sejal Gala after the loss of their 2 year old son, Ishan, to neuroblastoma in 2008. They witnessed the many hardships families faced and the lack of research for treatment for Neuroblastoma. They began by providing vital research grants to support clinical trials focused on finding less toxic treatments and helping families with financial burdens. In 2015, IGF began to switch its focus on strictly supporting families financially and emotionally in Virginia then expanding nationally.
ย 
The Ishan Gala Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit with a mission to be present in lives of children fighting cancer and their families to improve their quality of life during and after treatment.ย IGF fulfills its mission through various programs focused on easing financial stress, celebrating milestones in their lives, comforting during the bad days, and bringing moments of joy and fun into their lives during this extremely long, tough journey. We also help families during the holiday's through our Holiday Cheer Program by fulfilling wishlists, providing wrapping supplies, grocery gift cards and a holiday party exclusively for families.ย 
ย 
From something as simple as delivering a smile to taking care of a month of bills โ€ฆwe are there for our families.
ย 
For more information please visit www.ishangala.org

Pick your distance

Running

Run Brave 5K Registration

Includes t-shirt and medal. Must register by 8/25/26 7:00 a.m. (EST) to be guaranteed the shirt and medal Post race snacks and drinks will be provided. Stay after the race for prizes, snacks and few words from an IGF family. Discount provided for ages 5-14

Sep 13, 2026 5K 8:15 AM
$40.00
Closed

Virtual Run Brave 5K registration

Includes t-shirt and medal. Must register by 8/25/26 7:00 a.m. (EST) to be guaranteed the shirt and medal Discount provided for ages 5-14

Sep 13, 2026 5K 8:00 AM
$45.00
Closed

Run Brave Kids Dash

Must be 12 or younger to participate in Kids Dash Includes t-shirt and medal. Must register by 8/25/26 7:00 a.m. (EST) to be guaranteed the shirt and medal

Sep 13, 2026 Run Brave Kids Dash 8:00 AM
$15.00
Closed

Typical race-day weather

Based on 11 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Charlottesville, plus the 3 days either side.

Temp (ยฐC)
Minimum temperature (race-week average) 18.1ยฐ / Maximum temperature (race-week average) 29.8ยฐ
Feels Like (ยฐC)
Minimum feels like โ€” heat index / wind chill (race-week average) 18.1ยฐ / Maximum feels like โ€” heat index / wind chill (race-week average) 35.9ยฐ
Peak wind (km/h)
Strongest wind of the day (race-week average)
11.9
Precip (mm)
Precipitation over the day (race-week average)
2.4mm
Humidity
Mean relative humidity (race-week average)
70.1%
Sunrise
Sunrise at the start line on September 13, 2026 (EDT)
Sunset
Sunset at the start line on September 13, 2026 (EDT)
Daylight
Hours between sunrise and sunset on race day
12h 31m

The sun rises at 6:54 AM and sets at 7:25 PM local time (EDT) in Charlottesville on September 13, 2026 โ€” 12h 31m of daylight.

Course

No course map published yet.

The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.

Reviews

Done this event?

If you've participated in this event, share your experience with other runners

2026 results โ€” Run Brave 5K

Run Brave 5K Registration ยท 73 finishers

View all results
Leading finishers of the 2026 Run Brave 5K
Place Name Time Pace
1 Andrew Mearns 17:22 5:35 /mi
2 Bryce Davis 17:39 5:41 /mi
3 Conor Hassard 18:40 6:00 /mi
4 Eli Bosen 22:21 7:12 /mi
5 Parker Lee 22:45 7:19 /mi

Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.

All results by year

2026 edition View Results
2025 edition View Results
2024 edition View Results
2023 edition View Results
2022 edition View Results
2021 edition View Results
2020 edition View Results
2019 edition View Results

Other races near Charlottesville

Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months

Find upcoming events by distance:

Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.

  • Entries, prices, waves and inclusions โ€” the event's official registration page
  • Temperature and humidity โ€” Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
  • Elevation and terrain relief โ€” Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
  • Comparisons and counts โ€” Race Discovery calendar, 38 Charlottesville events

Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.