COMMUNITY

Community Initiatives

RUNVAN Development Fund

The RUNVAN® Development Fund is all about turning an event into something bigger than race day. It fuels opportunities for youth to discover confidence through running, removes barriers to the sport so more people can take part, and supports programs like StreetFront Alternative where movement becomes a path to personal growth.

From donating gear and food, to championing Indigenous partnerships and reconciliation, to empowering charities, elite athletes, and local run crews, RUNVAN’s impact reaches far beyond the course. Thousands of volunteers and community activations bring people together, creating moments that are as meaningful off the course as they are on it.

Because in the end, it’s not just about running — it’s about connection, opportunity, and showing what’s possible when a community moves together.

Here are some of the ways the non-profit RUNVAN® is additionally active in the community:

• Youth Initiatives – RUNVAN® organizes several youth initiatives each year, including school outreach with Elites, free youth running clinics, youth-led fun runs, and more. These initiatives aim to create a fun, social running experience for youth and help kids push themselves and their limits.
• Discounted and Comped Entries – RUNVAN also offers special discounted race entry for youth and students, and further supports those who may face financial barriers to participation. To this point, RUNVAN is a long-time supporter of StreetFront Alternative, an alternative education program in Vancouver. The non-profit believes physical fitness can be used as a means to help bring about personal and academic success.
• “We have over 60 students who hound us to run marathons, to change their personal narratives and take on challenges they never thought possible,” adds Streetfront leader, Trevor Stokes. “Without the most beautiful marathon in North America, they don’t get the real, tangible opportunity to put that to the test,” adds Stokes. Because the marathon isn’t just a race — it’s proof of what you’re capable of.
• Donation of Merchandise – Unclaimed merchandise also goes to good use, including outfitting of youth with new tech shirts and donating thousands of pounds of clothing every year to local charities. Tip: If you’d like to stay warm all the way up until your race start, consider wearing a lightly-used shirt and leave it on the corral fence just before you start your race. Volunteers will collect discarded clothing near the Start Line and the event will donate discarded clothing to charity. Left-over, uneaten event food is donated as well. 
• Indigenous Reconciliation – Event organizers directly partner with Indigenous groups including Musqueam, Indigenous Women Outdoors (IWO) and Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreational Council (I-SPARC) to help advance Indigenous reconciliation.
• “Our partnership with RUNVAN is meaningful because it makes room for Indigenous presence and leadership in spaces where our visibility has often been absent,” adds Aiyana Anderson-MacIsaac Executive Director of IWO. “Through this collaboration, we hope to encourage all runners, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, to reflect on the lands where we run, the histories that shaped them, and the responsibilities we carry moving forward.”
• RUN4HOPE Charity Program – The RUN4HOPE Charity Program has helped runners raise over $17 million since 1996, inspiring all to ‘Run & Give’.
• Elite Athletes – RUNVAN® offers elite entries into its races to advance the sport, and to support aspiring Canadian Elites and Elite Athletes.
• Run Crews – RUNVAN® is happy to support local run clubs with various promos and Cheer Activations at all events. Join your local Run Crews.
• Ambassador Program – The non-profit further gives back to the community with outreach programs supported by volunteer RUNVAN Ambassadors.
• Volunteer Programs – The RUNVAN® Volunteer program annually welcomes, trains and supports over 3,000+ Volunteers.
• Community Activations – You don’t have to be a runner to take part at any RUNVAN® event, as non-profit organizers also host many free community events including a Health, Sports & Lifestyle Expo, plus Block Parties for all. This event brings communities together through Cheer Loud Zones and Block Parties. There’s nothing quite like the shared experience of a community race and that Finish Line feeling. Cheer Loud.