Courage Day 5K

🏃‍♀️ Courage Day 5K Overview

The Courage Closet 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, respect, have access to compassionate medical care, and state of the art evidence collection.

Our founder and leader Liz Sands was kidnapped and raped on April 17, 1999 at the age of 17. Following her attack, her family proclaimed April 17th her "Courage Day", a celebration of her survival. Her family held a party with family and friends on the first anniversary of her attack and has celebrated every year since.

The Courage Day 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 a family friendly event! In addition to the 5k, we will also have a Kids fun run and a Tot Trot! Tot trot is a short sprint and is a free event for toddlers with an adult registration. We are thrilled to have you join us!

📅 Event Details

• Race Location: Franklin Park, 17501 Franklin Park Dr, Purcellville, VA 20132
• Date: Sunday, May 18, 2025
• Event Schedule:
  • 7:45 - race day packet pickup starts
  • 8:45 - Fun Run
  • 9:00 - 5K
  • 10:00 (when 5K is done) - Tot Trot

💰 Registration Fees

• 5K: $30 through March 15: $35 until online registration closes on Thursday, April 11 at 8:00 pm: $40 through race day
• Fun Run: $15 through Thursday, April 1 at 8:00 pm: $20 through race day (during packet pickup and race day): Fun Run participants will receive a shirt and kid's medal
• Tot Trot: FREE, sign up will be on race day and will receive a medal only
• Virtual 5K: $40 and includes packet shipping if needed

📦 Packet Pickup

Packet pick up will be at the =PR= Leesburg store on Saturday, May 17 from 2-4 pm, 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 and the top 3 boys and girls 10 & under. All proceeds will go directly to The Courage Closet.

🎯 Fundraising Goals

This is our 6th annual 5k, to date the Courage Day 5K is our largest fundraiser. We have a goal of raising $20,000 from the 5K to support survivors through the INOVA FACT department. The Inova Ewing Forensic Assessment and Consultation Teams address the unique needs of abused children and adults. They offer expert medical evaluation, forensic evidence collection, and provide expert interpretation based on training, experience and medical data. The majority of funding for the department is philanthropic. The department receives very little reimbursement through the state.

📝 Top Areas of Need

• Additional Staffing: There is a great need to bring on more providers. Due to staffing shortages, the Cornwall Location (Loudoun County) is not currently staffed 24/7. Long term goal is to get this location staffed full time.
• Patient Assistance: This includes meals for patients during exams, Lyft rides for appointments, and covering the cost of essential medications.
• Equipment Maintenance: Maintaining the technology used during the examination process is costly but essential for efficient and non-intimidating exams.
• Team Resiliency: Support for team building and mental health for nurses and doctors dealing with trauma cases is crucial.
• Professional Development: Fund opportunities for continued education and professional development for the team to grow their skills.

For further details and registration, visit the Courage Day 5K page.