The Women’s Running Festival, the largest women’s running event in Indiana, added a 10K race in 2024 to complement its half marathon and 5K. In addition, race organizers CRRG Events returned the event to its original date during Labor Day weekend. Set for Saturday, August 31, the popular late summer date allows women from across the country to participate in the 14th annual Women’s Half Marathon, Women’s 10K and Get a MOVE on Cancer 5K without conflicting with the fall marathon calendar.
CRRG Events increased its partnership with the IU Foundation and IU Health Foundation for the 5K. The newly rebranded Get a MOVE on Cancer 5K will highlight the MOVE program, a research-based exercise and physical therapy initiative offered at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“We’re thrilled to be returning to the Women’s Running Festival in 2024,” said Tarah Ballinger, MD, Vera Bradley Foundation Scholar in Breast Cancer Research, IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Last year’s one-mile walk proved that the women participating in this event care about supporting cancer research and enhanced patient care. We felt their generosity and were moved by their stories. We are excited to step it up this year with the Get a MOVE on Cancer 5K. Exercise is important for quality of life for anyone, but especially those surviving after or through a cancer diagnosis. The MOVE program routinely creates personalized plans for exercise and physical therapy through all stages of a patient’s cancer journey, so creating a ‘couch to 5K’ training program for festival participants seemed like a logical fit. This is a great way for people with cancer and the people in their support system to get out and get stronger, together.”
Race participants are invited to donate through their event registration or create a fundraising group to support the MOVE program. As part of its partnership with IU Health Foundation and the IU Foundation, event organizers will work with programming at both foundations to provide beginner 5K training programs to patients, staff, family, and friends.
“Research tells us that higher levels of activity after cancer diagnosis are associated with a nearly 40 percent reduction in cancer-specific death in certain types of cancer,” said Kelvin Lee, MD, Director, IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Exercise is like a free drug to help keep cancer at bay! Dr. Ballinger’s MOVE program is a fantastic resource to help patients take advantage of the benefits of exercise.”
With historically competitive fields and a robust cash purse paying the top-20 finishers in the half marathon distance, the event has a substantial track record of attracting participants from all over the country. Formerly known as the Indy Women’s Half Marathon, the event was first introduced in August 2010 as the first women-only half marathon in Indiana and quickly grew to become one of the ten largest women-only half marathons in the U.S. In 2023, the event moved from downtown Indianapolis to the popular Carmel suburb. Like the half marathon distance, the Women’s 10K and Get a MOVE on Cancer 5K offer cash awards to the top finishers.
“There’s a lot to be excited about with the 2024 Women’s Running Festival,” said Todd Oliver, race director and president of CRRG Events. “Adding the 10K will draw a lot of interest for those training for longer fall events or 5K veterans looking to challenge themselves at a new distance. Free parking, walking distance to shops, and courses that showcase the beauty of Carmel contribute to the positive runner experience. We love that those perks coupled with our extensive awards program make our event unique.”
Registration and fundraising information for the 2024 Women’s Running Festival are now available at WomensRunningFestival.com.
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