YAF YOUTH RACES
- YAF Races
- KP Challenge
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Up for a Challenge?
The KP Challenge is a series of three great, local races — Saint Fennessy 4K, Fitger’s 5K, and Park Point 5-Miler — that are strategically placed throughout the year to help participants build their endurance and stick to a regular training schedule.
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- Saint Fennessy 4K
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Race Date: March 14, 2026
Get your green on for the Saint Fennessy 4K, a festive fun run perfect for runners of all ages and abilities. Whether you’re a first-timer or looking to jump start your spring training, this is the race for you!
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- Fitger’s 5K
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Race Date: April 18, 2026
A perfect challenge for new runners or a good training race for veterans, the Fitger’s 5K has grown into one of the area’s premier spring races and now welcomes more than 2,000 participants each year.
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- Park Point 5-Miler & 2-Mile Walk
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Race Date: July 16, 2026
Come enjoy the height of a northern Minnesota summer at the Park Point 5-Miler & 2-Mile Walk, which holds the crown as northern Minnesota’s oldest road race and features a racecourse sandwiched between the open waters of Lake Superior and the Duluth Harbor.
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- Minnesota Mile
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2026 Race Registration Opens on July 1
The Minnesota Mile takes you on a scenic, 5,280-foot journey around Duluth’s Enger Park, treating participants to some of the best views in the entire city during the peak of fall’s color season.
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- Superior Nightmare 5K
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2026 Race Registration Opens on September 1
A spooky end to our local racing calendar, the Superior Nightmare 5K brings with it plenty of scary surprises and haunted hijinks. Dress your best for this annual combination of Halloween and running, and be sure to enter our costume contest to decide the day’s best-dressed!
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- Youth Races
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Whether it’s your child’s first-ever race or they’ve just fallen in love with running, our Wednesday Night at the Races series is the perfect place for them!
- Register [HIDDEN]
- Race Info
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Grandma’s Marathon shouldn’t be just for the adults, so be sure to bring the kids to Bayfront Festival Park for their very own race complete with finisher medals!
- Register [HIDDEN]
- Race Info
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- KP Challenge
- YAF Programs
- Grant Program
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Our kids. Our community. Our future.
Through our grant program, the Young Athletes Foundation contributes to and supports our area’s recreational and athletic organizations working to provide our community’s kids with pathways of opportunities to live healthier and more active lifestyles.
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- Support the YAF
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- Running Shoe Program
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Our kids. Our community. Our future.
Through our running shoe program, the Young Athletes Foundation works each year to provide opportunities to high school runners across our five-county region by providing free shoe certificates to athletes in need through their cross country or track and field program.
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- Support the YAF
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- Scholarship Program
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Our kids. Our community. Our future.
Through the Eleanor Rynda and Steve & Carolyn Mather Scholarships, the Young Athletes Foundation works to financially support high school and collegiate student-athletes as they continue their education and competitive running careers.
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- Support the YAF
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- Let’s Move at the Depot
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Our kids. Our community. Our future.
This event was designed with the goal of engaging young people in fun and healthy indoor activities and encouraging and empowering kids and families to continue to participate in healthy lifestyle habits and physical activity at home and in the community.
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- Support the YAF
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- Fit-n-Fun Run
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Our kids. Our community. Our future.
The Essentia Health Fit-n-Fun Run is held each spring and brings together more than 2,000 of the area’s elementary school students for an end-of-year celebration of all the hard work they put into their physical education classes.
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- Support the YAF
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- Grant Program
- Support
- Volunteer
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Our kids. Our community. Our future.
Our tremendous community of volunteers plays a significant role in helping the Young Athletes Foundation to create memorable and successful events for our runners. More than 1,000 volunteers are needed throughout the year to support our fundraising race events for the YAF.
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- Support the YAF
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- Sponsors
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Our kids. Our community. Our future.
The Young Athletes Foundation was created to serve the community, and for more than three decades we have done that with the help of our local and regional business partners. With events throughout the year, our sponsors assist greatly in our mission of providing pathways of opportunity to youth in athletic programs and encouraging healthy lifestyles.
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- Support the YAF
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- Charity Runners
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Our kids. Our community. Our future.
Do you want to run for free AND add more meaning to your miles Sign up ahead of Grandma’s Marathon weekend to be a charity runner for the Young Athletes Foundation (YAF), and your success in reaching the finish line can help someone else reach theirs.
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- Support the YAF
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- Volunteer
- VISIT Grandma's Marathon