Downtown Run Around: Saturday, June 8, 2024

If you are a runner with lived experience with homelessness, incarceration, or addiction and the cost of race registration is prohibitive, please use the code "Experience" for a complimentary (free) registration for the Downtown Run Around.

If you are a BIPOC runner and cost of entry is prohibitive, use the code "BIPOC" for free race entry.  MiMS' vision includes centering people traditionally excluded from running spaces, including races. 

The Downtown Run Around is important for MiMS in two ways: it brings together MiMS participants and community runners and it serves as our biggest fundraising event of the year. 

Our members face the harsh realities of experiencing homelessness, incarceration and addiction. Getting back on track can seem insurmountable, and often, the hardest step is the first one. But when you FundRace with Mile in My Shoes, you fuel our members’ ambition to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Read about the impact MiMS has on our runners here. 

FundRacers help MiMS raise crucial support for our programs while they train for the race. How? They connect with their circles with requests for donations that go directly to support weekly runs, provide running gear, and cover race-entry fees for MiMS program participants. There are many creative ways to meet your FundRacing goal - host a fundraising party, offer your special skills as thanks for donations (homemade cookies, anyone?), share why you support MiMS on social media, or connect with local businesses to see how they can support you - to name just a few! We also have a FundRacing Manager that will be your point of contact with MiMS and ready to give you a Woo! whenever you need one!

It’s easy to opt in to FundRacing right when you register. FundRacers receive tips and resources, stories and insight from past FundRacers, and contests and incentives to motivate you all the way to the finish line. Even if you've already registered or if you don't plan to run the race, you can still sign up to become a FundRacer here. Because there is no minimum to raise, there is no risk to creating a FundRacing page and giving it a try! You can also start a FundRacing Team and invite other to raise with you as a group!

Take a look at the incentives you can earn:

• $100: MiMS logo 2x3" sticker for your car, water bottle or laptop
• $200: Your entry fee into the Downtown Run Around will be refunded to you (optional)
• $310: All of the above AND MiMS custom run buff
• $400: All of the above AND our official Mile in My Shoes technical T-shirt or tank
• $500: All of the above PLUS exclusive MiMS pullover hoodie or zip-up hoodie
• $750: Three-quarter zip run top 
• $1000: Your very own cheer zone at the 2024 Downtown Run Around

PLUS All FundRacers have the chance to earn the following:

• All FundRacers who meet their goal will be entered into a raffle for a free running Gait Analysis donated by Endurance Sports ($200 value)

• The top three FundRacers will each receive a $100 Gift Certificate donated by City Running

Add meaning to your miles. Create your FundRacing page today!

We all know running is better with friends! Invite your friends and family -- whether they live down the street or around the world -- to join you in supporting MiMS through the Downtown Run Around. Gather a group of friends, family, or colleagues and run as one. Create your own team or join one already in play -- get creative with a team theme and name! Whether you all hail from Minnesota or from around the globe, you can be together in spirit -- teams can be of any size, gender, and age, and can include both in-person and virtual participants. Teams also are eligible for special prizes such as the largest team. You can even create a Team FundRacing page and aim to raise the most money for MiMS! 

How does it work? During your registration, you will be asked if you want to join or create a team -- then follow the prompts to choose your team. If you create a team you will receive a special welcome email with a URL you can use to invite teammates to join you. If you decide to join a team after you've already registered, no problem -- you can go to your RunSignUp profile and manage your registration at any time. For any questions email us at dra5K@mileinmyshoes.mn and we’ll be glad to help you.

Check out the 2024 commemorative super-soft t-shirt -- available in unisex, femme ("Women's") cut and kid's sizing. Register by May 5 to guarantee your size.

The 2024 Downtown Run Around celebrates the freedom to move, particularly for those who have redefined their paths through running with Mile in My Shoes. At MiMS, we believe in the transformative power of running for individuals experiencing homelessness, reintegrating after military service,  exiting incarceration, and fighting addiction. 

The ability to move through space freely—physically and emotionally—is a privilege many of our Members have not had, and one that many of us take for granted. Mile in My Shoes allows our Members the opportunity to embrace freedom of movement as a way to reclaim agency over their lives. The Downtown Run Around is a run to recognize this collective journey of transformation, where running becomes a powerful metaphor for rewriting one's narrative, overcoming obstacles, and celebrating the freedom to move towards a brighter future.

Join us for our 8th Annual Downtown Run Around on Saturday, June 8 as we recognize and celebrate the resilience and determination of our Members and of all runners who have embraced the freedom to move forward, one step, one mile, at a time.