Strides for Africa
About this race
Strides for Africa Run/Walk – August 15, 2026 | McPike Park, Downtown Madison
Join us for the Strides for Africa Run/Walk, a family-friendly event open to all ages and held in-person at McPike Park as part of the kickoff to Africa Fest 2026. Participants can choose from a 5K run, a 5K walk, a 1.5-mile fun walk, a kids' fun run, or take part in a unique team relay that reflects the challenges of collecting water in rural Africa.
Proceeds support Strides for Africa’s clean water, education, and health projects in rural African communities. These initiatives contribute to improved access to water, support for youth education, and measurable community health outcomes. Locally, the event also offers participants a way to engage as global citizens through purposeful action.
This year, instead of t-shirts, each participant will receive a handmade Kenyan paper bead bracelet, supporting environmental sustainability and women artisans who are working to help build community-led education infrastructure for their children. In addition, participants can show their race bib to redeem a free drink at the Africa Fest "Beer Tent" following the event.
Join fellow runners on August 16, 2025 for the Strides for Africa. It's a fantastic 5K, 2.4K, 0.4K featuring a flat and fast course in Madison.
Pick your distance
Running
5K Run
5K Walk
1.5-Mile Fun Walk
1.5 Mile Team Relay
For those in rural Africa, the daily grind for water takes an incredible amount of effort, particularly for the women and children. The relay is not meant to be competitive but rather educational to simulate the challenges of the water gathering process that the women and children complete each day in rural Africa. The team relay will require teams to carry an empty 5-gallon Jerry Can from the start line to the filling station near Tenney Park (approximately 1 mile). Teams will then fill their plastic jerry can to their desired weight (a full can weighs approximately 50 lbs). The Jerry Cans will be equipped with 1.5-inch webbing (like a seatbelt) to serve as a harness. The harness will be adjustable to account for the different sizes of team members. For the relay portion, one member of the team will carry the Jerry Can at a time, while the other team members walk alongside the teammate who is carrying the Jerry Can. You can switch the Jerry Can between team members at any time. For teams deciding to fill their can to the max, it will be challenging, but doable.
0.25 Mile - Kids Fun Run
Weather Overview
These values reflect historical conditions on the race dates in Madison in 2025, from Open-Meteo archive data.
About Madison
Strides for Africa takes place in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. The local timezone is America/Chicago.
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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.