Courage Day 5K

🏃‍♀️ Courage Day 5K Overview

Join us for our annual 5K and Kids' Fun Run, celebrating the warrior in all of us. Our 5K and Fun Run is held at beautiful Franklin Park in Western Loudoun County, VA. Franklin Park boasts 200+ acres of rolling hills and views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is a trail course, while not technical, it is also not paved. This is a fun morning for all.

🎗️ About The Courage Closet

The Courage Closet is a 501(c)(3) organization and is dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse in Northern Virginia. Our donations help ensure all survivors are treated with dignity and respect, have access to compassionate medical care, and state-of-the-art evidence collection.

• Founder Story: Liz Sands, our founder, was kidnapped and raped on April 17, 1999, at the age of 17. Her family proclaimed April 17th her "Courage Day," celebrating her survival.
• Annual Celebration: Her family has held a party with friends on the first anniversary of her attack and has celebrated every year since.
• Family-Friendly Event: In addition to the 5k, we will also have a kids' fun run and a Tot Trot!
• Virtual Option: We have a virtual 5K and fun run option if you are unable to join us in person.

📍 Race Details

Race location:
Franklin Park
17501 Franklin Park Dr
Purcellville, VA 20132

Date:
Sunday, April 26, 2026

Event schedule:

• 7:45: Race day packet pickup starts
• 8:45: Fun Run
• 9:00: 5K
• 10:00: Tot Trot (when 5K is done)

💵 Registration Fees

5K:
$30 through February 28
$35 March 1 through April 22
$40 April 23-Race Day - online registration will close on race day (April 26) at 8:00 am.

Fun Run:
$15 through Thursday, April 22
$20 April 23 through race day
Fun Run participants will receive a shirt and kid's medal.

Tot Trot: FREE and sign up will be on race day, and you will receive a medal only.

Virtual 5K: $40 if picking up a packet. There will be a small fee for shipping if needed.

📦 Packet Pick Up

Packet pick up will be at the =PR= Leesburg store on Friday, April 24 from 3-6pm, then again on race day at Franklin Park starting at 7:45 am. Participants are encouraged to pick up their packet before race day. Shipping is also an option for Virtual Event option only for a small fee.

🏆 Awards

Awards for the live event will be given to the top 3 overall Male & Female finishers 12 & Over and the top 3 boys and girls 11 & under.

💖 Support The Cause

All proceeds will go directly to The Courage Closet. Visit us on Facebook.

💡 Top 5 Areas of Need

• Additional Staffing: With current staffing levels, additional providers are needed to ensure Cornwall Location (Loudoun County) is staffed 24/7.
• Patient Assistance: Covers meals, transportation, and essential medications for patients.
• Equipment Maintenance: Cortexflo technology for exams requires regular maintenance and updates.
• Team Resiliency: Funding for team-building events to combat burnout and low morale among staff members.
• Professional Development: Funding opportunities for continued education for staff.

🔗 More Information

This is our 7th annual 5K. To date, the Courage Day 5K is our largest fundraiser. We aim to raise $20,000 from the 5K to support survivors through the INOVA FACT department.

For more information, visit our website: Courage Day 5K.