RunTough 2026

  • Date Sun 27th September 2026
  • Time 2:30PM EDT
  • Location Saline, Michigan
  • Price $11.60 - $32.80
  • Races 5 races
  • Distances 1 Mile, 5km

Event summary

Get ready to lace up your running shoes for the 13th Annual RunTough event, taking place on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at Saline High School's Hornet Stadium in Saline, Washtenaw! This exciting day will feature both in-person and virtual races, including a traditional 5K road race and a 1-mile Fun Run, making it perfect for runners of all ages and abilities.

Join the community in this uplifting event that has raised over $3 million for pediatric brain cancer research. Enjoy a vibrant Family Fun Zone filled with games and activities, and don’t miss the adorable Tot Sprint happening on the football field at 3:15 PM. For those opting for the virtual experience, you can run, walk, or participate in your favorite activity at your own pace, with the option to receive a race packet by mail. Whether you're racing for fun or supporting a vital cause, the RunTough event promises to be a memorable day filled with inspiration, community spirit, and the determination to fund life-changing research for pediatric brain cancer treatments. Join us in making a difference!

Organiser's Description

OUR TRADITIONAL 5K & 1M RACES ARE BACK!

ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation is excited to announce our 13th Annual RunTough event, which will be held both virtually and in person at Saline High School's Hornet Stadium IN THE AFTERNOON ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2026. RunTough is the foundations longest-running event, and due to popular demand we are bringing back our traditional 5K & 1M races in Saline!

The 13th Annual RunTough will have all of the following ways to participate:

* RETURNING RACE FORMATS FOR THE SALINE LOCAL EVENT! We are back to our traditional 5K road race through the Saline High School Campus and Chad's neighborhood next door, along with our 1M Fun Run that is an out and back along Campus Drive.

* FAMILY FUN ZONE (LOCAL ONLY) Come for the races, stay for the Family Fun Zone featuring kids games and activities in the main Hornet Stadium this year!

* TOT SPRINT (LOCAL ONLY) We will once again host the adorable Tot Sprint on the main Hornet Stadium football field at 3:15pm for our toddler crowd!

* VIRTUAL 5K WITH OR WITHOUT A SHIRT You can register for our virtual race with or without a shirt. You choose the date, the time, and the location to run, walk, or do the activity of your choice (or not we won't tell!). If you register for a shirt, we'll mail you a race packet. VIRTUAL REGISTRATIONS AFTER 9/2/26 WILL NOT RECEIVE THEIR PACKETS IN THE MAIL UNTIL OCTOBER!

* ADDITIONAL EFFORTS For more information about efforts being led by our Family Partners as well as other families affected by pediatric brain cancer, please go to www.chadtough.org/runtough [https://www.chadtough.org/runtough/]. Information for these efforts will be updated as it becomes available.

PACKET PICKUP for the local Saline event will be Friday, Sept 25, from 12-6pm at the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation office in Saline (201 W. Michigan Ave) or starting at 1pm on event day at Hornet Stadium.

***PLEASE NOTE THAT NO DOGS ARE PERMITTED AT THIS EVENT!***




HISTORY OF RUNTOUGH

RunTough originated in 2014 when a group of neighbors in the Saline area came together in support of Chad Carr, a 3-year-old boy who had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer called DIPG. Since then, RunTough alone has raised over $3 million for pediatric brain cancer research and inspired more than 19,000 registrations.

Brain cancer kills more kids than any other type, and DIPG is responsible for almost half of all pediatric brain cancer deaths. With a nearly 0% survival rate and less than 1% of federal cancer research funding earmarked for ALL types of pediatric brain cancer, its no surprise that the standard of care has not changed in the six decades since Neil Armstrongs daughter died of DIPG. But thanks primarily to DIPG families like the Carrs, who have channeled their grief into an effort to fund game-changing research on DIPG, doctors have begun to discover breakthrough treatments that are showing great promise, so much so that they now believe a cure will be found in our lifetime.

All proceeds will go to the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, whose mission is to inspire and fund game-changing research to discover effective treatments for pediatric brain cancer, with an emphasis on diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). Brain cancer kills more kids than any other type of cancer, and DIPG is responsible for almost half of all pediatric brain cancer deaths. Finding effective treatment options for this complex disease is one of the best ways to save kids from cancer!

To learn more about the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, go to www.chadtough.org [http://www.chadtough.org].

Races

  • SALINE 1 Mile Fun Run

    Incl. $2.50 Fee & Race Shirt

    Sun 27th September 2026 (2:30PM EDT)

    $27.50

    OPENS 01 JUN
    Our traditional 1M Fun Run is back! Early Bird pricing ends July 31. All participants registered by September 2 are guaranteed to receive an event shirt. Shirts may be available after September 2 but cannot be guaranteed. ***Note that there is separate registration option for the 5 & under crowd, which includes a toddler-size shirt. Please sign up for the Saline Toddler Option, which is only available for the local Saline event (not virtual). ***Packet pickup will be from 12-6pm on Friday, Sept 25, at the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation office in Saline (201 W. Michigan Ave) or starting at 1pm on event day at Hornet Stadium. Opening ceremony is at 2:15pm, race starts at 2:30pm.*** Please note that NO DOGS are permitted at this event!
  • Saline 5K

    Incl. $2.50 Fee & Race Shirt

    Sun 27th September 2026 (2:30PM EDT)

    $27.50

    OPENS 01 JUN
    Our traditional 5K road race is back! Early Bird pricing ends July 31. All participants registered by September 2 are guaranteed to receive an event shirt. Shirts may be available after September 2 but cannot be guaranteed. ***Note that there is separate registration option for the 5 & under crowd, which includes a toddler-size shirt. Please sign up for the Saline Toddler Option, which is only available for the local Saline event (not virtual). ***Packet pickup will be from 12-6pm on Friday, Sept 25, at the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation office in Saline (201 W. Michigan Ave) or starting at 1pm on event day at Hornet Stadium.*** Please note that NO DOGS are permitted at this event!
  • SALINE Toddler Option

    Incl. $1.60 Fee & Toddler T-Shirt

    Sun 27th September 2026 (3:15PM EDT)

    $11.60

    OPENS 01 JUN
    We are pleased to once again offer separate registration for our 5 & under crowd for the LOCAL EVENT IN SALINE ONLY not valid for the Virtual Race. This registration includes a unique, toddler-only shirt. (NOTE: This is not the same shirt as the event shirt!) We have a limited number of toddler shirts in each size (2T, 3T, 4T, 5T, or Y-XS) that are available while supplies last on a first come, first served basis. If we are sold out of your child's size or you do not want a toddler shirt, you can still register them to participate and select None for your t-shirt option. * Pricing valid for ages 5 and under only. BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! At 3:15pm, there will be a Tot Sprint on the main Hornet Stadium football field for our younger crowd! Please note that NO DOGS are permitted at this event!
  • VIRTUAL 5K (Shirt Mailed)

    Incl. $2.80 Fee & Race Shirt

    $32.80

    OPENS 01 JUN
    Join us in spirit by doing a run or walk (or any other activity of your choice!) at any time that works for you. This can be done anywhere and includes shipment of an event shirt and bib. Wear your shirt with pride to show your support during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month! Early Bird pricing ends July 31! VIRTUAL REGISTRATIONS AFTER 9/2/26 WILL NOT RECEIVE THEIR PACKETS IN THE MAIL UNTIL OCTOBER! Thank you for your support of our mission to cure pediatric brain cancer. Tag us on social media, we would love to see your photos!
  • VIRTUAL Without Shirt

    Incl. $2.20 Fee

    $22.20

    OPENS 01 JUN
    We are once again offering a virtual option without a shirt for just $20! You can still join us in spirit by doing a run or walk (or any other activity of your choice!) at any time that works for you. Wear whatever you want, though we'd love it to be orange! Thank you for your support of our mission to cure pediatric brain cancer. Tag us on social media, we would love to see your photos! ***NOTE that this option does not include a shirt or race packet.***

Reviews

Done this event?

First-hand event reviews from people who have been there, done that and got the breathable T-shirt, really help everyone choose their next event.

Add a review

Location

PO BOX 907, Saline, 48176, MI, United States

Who's In

See who else is doing this event

Be the first

No-one has marked this event as 'Doing' or 'Maybe' yet. Will you be the first?

More from findarace.com

You might like