Run for East Lake 5K & Fun Run

About the Run for East Lake 5K & Fun Run

The East Lake Foundation is thrilled to host the Run for East Lake 5K & Fun Run on Saturday, August 8th , presented by the East Lake Family YMCA. The 5K race will start and finish at Charles R. Drew Charter School’s Junior and Senior Academy and the race will weave through the beautiful East Lake community highlighting the Villages of East Lake, East Lake Family YMCA, Charlie Yates Golf Course, and much more. The route will also provide participants the unique opportunity to run through the back 9 holes of historic East Lake Golf Club, home of the TOUR Championship, which will take place August 26-30, 2026. The Fun Run (400 meter dash) will take place in front of Charles R. Drew Charter School Junior and Senior Academy after the 5K and is open to all ages. 

About the East Lake Foundation

Founded in 1995 by developer and philanthropist Tom Cousins, the East Lake Foundation  collaborates with The Villages of East Lake residents, Charles R. Drew Charter School families, and other key service providers to ensure every member of our community has equitable access to the resources, tools and supports needed to thrive through its integrated and holistic model for community revitalization. The Foundation has helped to create mixed-income housing and infrastructure, educational opportunities from cradle to college, and community wellness and economic vitality activities such as entrepreneurship, career readiness, and financial literacy, among others, to ensure the East Lake neighborhood is recognized for what is possible and not defined by its past.

This innovative approach has proven that a community that had experienced disinvestment and a lack of opportunities for decades can be transformed into a neighborhood where children and their families thrive and experience increased upward mobility, improved health outcomes, and greater racial equity.

The success of the East Lake Initiative has served as the blueprint for a national model of holistic community redevelopment through Purpose Built Communities. Today, there are 27 additional Purpose Built Communities across the country — all of which are successfully creating opportunities for residents and building strong, economically diverse communities. For more information, please visit www.eastlakefoundation.org.

Join fellow runners on August 8, 2026 for the Run for East Lake 5K & Fun Run. It's a fantastic 5K featuring a flat and fast course in Atlanta.