#CureforCluster VIRTUAL 5k Run/Walk

The 10th Annual #CureforCluster VIRTUAL 5k Run/Walk for Cluster Headache Research by Clusterbusters is officially a VIRTUAL 5K! Cluster headaches are a debilitating neurological condition that affect a smaller population than Migraine and other common headache disorders. This virtual event allows clusterheads from around the globe to participate and raise awareness for cluster headaches in their hometown.

We feel this is the best way to raise awareness and funding across the country and internationally. Whether it’s just you or a group of people, you simply sign up on our website and then walk or run 3.1 miles on or before Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026. Unlike years prior, we will not be sending out race bags and t-shirts. Instead, participants will receive a token of appreciation in the mail a few days after the event.  

What’s a Virtual 5k? A Virtual 5K is completed on your own or with a group of friends, family, and coworkers. Anyone in the world can participate on or before Tuesday, June 23rd. You can use a treadmill at home or in a gym. You can run outside in your own neighborhood or at a local park. You can bring your children, use strollers, or participate in a wheelchair. There’s no time limit, so you can run or walk 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) at your own pace. Your pets can even participate with you! One of the benefits of a virtual 5k is that there are no added costs of travel and hotel stays.

How the #CureforCluster Virtual 5k Works: 

·       The first step is to sign up on our #CureforCluster race website. You will receive updates and reminders in the weeks leading up to the event.   

·       You don’t have to run by yourself. Ask your family, friends, co-workers and fellow clusterheads in your area if they’re interested in doing it with you. This is a great opportunity to share the harsh realities of living with cluster headaches with those who may not understand that this brain disorder is devastating and dangerous. After all, the number of suicide attempts in the cluster community is 20 times the national average in the United States.  You can also ask your friends and family to “sponsor” your run by pledging to donate as little as $1 per mile completed. Once completed, they can donate that amount under your name via the donations page on our #CureforCluster website. (If you’re an avid runner, you don’t have to stop at 3.1 miles! You can also complete a Walk-What-You-Can-K. This event is about making an invisible illness visible, not who finishes first.

·       Identify your time zone in relation to Washington, DC. The Virtual 5k begins at 9am ET. We will go live on Clusterbusters social media sites to kick off the event. So, for example, if you’re running in:

o   Scotland: begin at 2pm

o   Norway: 3pm

o   Chicago: 8am

o   London: 2pm

o   New York City: 9am

o   California: 6am

o   Germany: 3pm

o   Puerto Rico: 9am

·       Emails are sent out on a weekly basis, starting June 1, 2026. 

Why Join Us? This virtual 5k is to raise awareness for cluster headaches, a form of Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgia. These are not “headaches,” but attacks of sudden, severe, one-sided attacks that feel like an icepick or hot poker is stabbing your temple and eye areas. These attacks can occur up to 12 times a day, lasting 15 minutes to 3 hours. Nicknamed “Suicide Headaches,” this brain disorder is known to be one of the most painful conditions known to man. The most effective treatment is high-flow oxygen through a non-rebreather mask. To learn more about cluster headaches, please visit Clusterbusters.org.  

Clusterbusters: The proceeds of this race go toward research funded through Clusterbusters with whom we are affiliated. Clusterbusters has funded crucial research efforts over the past twenty years, and the #CureforCluster has helped move projects forward, such as the largest demographic study on cluster headaches led by Dr. Larry Schor at the University of West Georgia. View current research efforts on the Clusterbusters website.

Sponsors: To sponsor this event through your company or organization, please contact Bob@clusterbusters.org.

Race Day Details: 

On Monday, June 22nd at 6 pm ET, our race director, Ashley Hattle-Cleminshaw, will go live on Facebook (and send an email to all participants) to promote the race and get all participants pumped up for the 5k. Last minute details will also be discussed.

At 9 am ET on the day of the race (Tuesday, June 23rd), we will go live on Facebook again to signal the start of our 5k. However, if you live in a later time zone, you’re welcome to run your 5k earlier in the morning. Please add your mailing address to receive a thank you gift and completion prize after the event.

Share Your Progress and Participation on Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) using the #CureforCluster hashtag: The main goals of our annual virtual event are to spread awareness of cluster headaches and raise funding for research and scholarships for the Clusterbusters conference and Headache on the Hill. By “going live” or taking photos of yourself or your team wearing purple or previous years’ Clusterbusters t-shirts, you can help us flood social media with the inspirational images and messages of cluster headache patients. There may be a clusterhead in your area who is struggling without a support system who can benefit from your efforts to raise awareness.

When you post, don’t forget to tag Clusterbusters and include #CureforCluster.

Safety Warnings: If you have health concerns, please take your time. You can bring your oxygen tank with you, like others have before. No matter where you’re running or walking on race day, make sure you have plenty of water and nutritious snacks available. Don’t leave a fellow runner behind!

June is Headache and Migraine Awareness Month. There are many wonderful fundraising events taking place this month, such as the Memorial Vigil by the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy and Chris’s 1,000-Mile Walk by Chronic Migraine Awareness. Please check them out too! The AHDA Vigil takes place in Washington DC at 6pm on June 23rd. You’re welcome to wait and walk with reverence in the evening for both the #CureforCluster and to pay homage to the lives we’ve lost to headache disorders.