RunTough 2026

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 foundation’s 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. 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, it’s no surprise that the standard of care has not changed in the six decades since Neil Armstrong’s 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. 

This year's race is a 1M off-road "Tough Run" utilizing the Saline High School Cross Country Course, which includes both grass and pavement.

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

See the map below!

Saline Event Packet Pickup:
Friday, Sept 25, from 12-6pm at the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation office in Saline (201 W. Michigan Ave)

Saline Event Day Schedule:
Sunday, Sept 27
1:00 - Packet pickup continues
2:15 - Event opening ceremony
2:30 - 1M & 5K races start
3:15 - BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Tot Sprint in Hornet Stadium
3:30 - 5K awards by age group

Event will take place rain or shine. In the event of lightning, safety will remain our priority and a decision will made on site. No refunds will be issued.