Sarah Strong 5K and 1 Mile Kids Fun Run
About this race
The Sarah Strong Run 5K Run/Walk, and 1 Mile Kids' Fun Run is back again for 2026! This year's event will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026 in downtown Elkhart. All proceeds from the Sarah Strong Run benefit Passionately Purple: The Sarah Crane Foundation, which assists families in the local community whose loved ones are battling cancer.
Packet pickup will be held on Friday, September 25, at a time and location to be determined, as well as at the race location on Saturday, September 26, from 7:30 -8:30 AM.
The race will start and finish at Bicentennial Park (100 N. Elkhart Ave) in Downtown Elkhart.
This is a family-friendly event! Strollers are permitted and welcomed on the course. Due to liability, no dogs are allowed. All fitness levels are welcome to come run competitively or walk leisurely with a group of friends.
Medals are given to the top 3 finishers in each age divison as well as awards for the top three overall male and female finishers.
Race Day Parking: The lot at Bicentennial Park will be closed off for the race start and finish. There is ample parking available across the street at Hacienda or at Beacon Health & Fitness.
ABOUT PASSIONATELY PURPLE:
Sarah Crane was a sophomore at Elkhart Memorial High School (in Elkhart, Indiana) and was full of Charger Pride. A letter winner in Track and actively involved in Cross Country, Drill Team and Dance, Sarah always maintained a positive attitude in life, sports and her academics. On July 10th 2013, that positive attitude became critically important as she was diagnosed with Stage-4 Colon Cancer; an extremely rare form of cancer for someone her age with the colon, liver, lungs and bowels affected and requiring cancer treatments consisting of surgeries and ongoing chemotherapy. While most would have given up or huddled in fear, Sarah stood strong and vowed to win this battle. Sarah refused to back down or surrender. The slogan SARAHSTRONG is where this was born. It was her mantra and focus during this difficult process. Purple represents not only the fight against all cancers but is Sarah’s favorite color.
Unfortunately for us, Sarah's battle ended on December 7, 2013.
With Sarah's passing and still an entire community still rallying, the Crane family knew they had to do something and that is when the foundation was born. The foundation hosts several fundraising events to help aid in annual scholarships at Elkhart High School, and provide supplies, counseling and other items for local families who are also battling cancer.
Join fellow runners on March 12, 2016 for the Sarah Strong 5K and 1 Mile Kids Fun Run. It's a fantastic 10K, 5K, 1.6K featuring a flat and fast course in Elkhart.
Pick your distance
Running
10K Run
The 10K run will begin at 9:00 and will start in downtown Elkhart and make its way east of town along the St. Joseph River and return back to run in the city parks along the bike paths and back into down town to finish at the clock tower in the Civic Plaza.
5K Run/Walk
The 5K Run/Walk will start at 9:10 AM following the start of the 10K. Runners will run through the streets of Downtown Elkhart, through the city parks on the bike paths, run along the river, and finish in front of the clock tower at the Civic Plaza. The Course is mainly flat with a couple of small hills.
Kids 1 Mile Fun Run
The Kids fun run will start at 8:30 AM. Awards will be given to the top 3 runners in each age group.
Weather Overview
These values reflect historical conditions on the race dates in Elkhart in 2016, from Open-Meteo archive data.
About Elkhart
Sarah Strong 5K and 1 Mile Kids Fun Run takes place in Elkhart, Indiana, United States. The local timezone is America/Indiana/Indianapolis.
Reviews
Done this event?
If you've participated in this event, share your experience with other runners
Race information has been sourced from the event's official website and other publicly available resources. For the most up-to-date details, please refer to the official website directly. If you notice any incorrect or missing information, don't hesitate to reach out to us by email.