The annual Miles 4 Smiles Run/Walk 5K is back! This family-friendly, charity 5K race is open to all community members and raises money for our youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit Leaders for Youth Sports. Founded by high school students Aanya Goel, Brianna Zhang, and Janelle Yao, Leaders for Youth Sports works to break down the financial barriers blocking children from pursuing sports through donating equipment, organizing free sports programming, hosting sports clinics, sponsoring free sports leagues, organizing field days, and more throughout West Michigan.
🍌 Post-race snacks and drinks are provided (pizza and snacks!)
🏆 Prize baskets will be given out to top finishers
🛍️ Each participant receives a goody bag
📚 Student discounts offered! Use code "StudentDiscount" for Registration Only or "StudentDiscountShirt" for Registration + Shirt
👧 Kids under age 5 register for free
👕 Guarantee a shirt by purchasing online
🗓 Check-in begins at 9:15am on August 8th. Race begins at 10am.
Leaders for Youth Sports is a youth-led nonprofit founded by local high school students Brianna Zhang, Janelle Yao, and Aanya Goel. As dancers, tennis players, and soccer players facing financial barriers to playing sports, our mission is to make youth sports more accessible and build future leaders. According to a 2022 study by the financial services company LendingTree, 60% of families experience financial strain from their children's sports. Due to their high cost from classes to equipment and transportation, sports are a financial strain on many families. Sports extracurriculars are vital to the healthy development of children, contributing to their physical fitness, cognitive skills, social life, emotional well-being, leadership abilities, and so much more. Thousands of children have to grow up without access to these integral developmental activities, and Leaders for Youth Sports is empowering young leaders to take action and help kids in their own communities.
Leaders for Youth Sports has directly helped over 1,000 children so far through free programming (clinics, leagues, field days, bubble runs, free equipment distributions, etc.), providing resources to safely navigate youth sports, and conducting sports equity research. Leaders for Youth Sports currently operates in Portage, Kalamazoo, Parchment, Comstock, Lawrence, and Grand Rapids.
Funds raised at the Miles 4 Smiles charity 5K will go toward our youth sports programs to help more kids participate in sports in more communities.
Female
Male
Website: leadersforyouthsports.org
Instagram: @leadersforyouthsports
Aug 01, 2026
Distance — 5K
Type — Running
10:00
$32.00
Aug 01, 2026
Distance — 5K
Type — Running
10:00
$20.00
These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for August in Kalamazoo.
Learn more about the host city, Kalamazoo.
Kalamazoo is a city in West Central Michigan. The city is home to more than 198,200 people (2020), with 355,000 in the metropolitan area, which includes neighboring Battle Creek. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County.
Read more launchOfficial finishing times from previous editions of Miles 4 Smiles.
| Place | Name | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Jackson Lam | — | |
| 🥇 | Brady Winther-MacInnis | — | |
| 🥈 | Cody Lam | — | |
| 🥈 | Ben Bakalyar | — | |
| 🥉 | Kevin Zegerius | — | |
| 🥉 | Eli Pavlik | — | |
| 4 | Qi Han Davis | — | |
| 4 | K. Barkalow | — | |
| 5 | Emily Waggoner | — | |
| 5 | H. Wagner | — | |
| 6 | Anni Holm | — | |
| 6 | Cynthia Baranowski | — | |
| 7 | Ella Schabes | — | |
| 7 | Rylie Courtney | — | |
| 8 | Aaron Thiel | — | |
| 8 | Shae Willis | — | |
| 9 | Ningzhi Luo-Li | — | |
| 9 | Andrew Hagenbuch | — | |
| 10 | Gillian Bourlon | — | |
| 10 | Emilee Subacz | — | |
| 11 | G. Zhang | — | |
| 11 | Alexia Mullen | — | |
| 12 | Nike Flamm | — | |
| 12 | Xinsheng Zhang | — | |
| 13 | Eric Sharp | — | |
| 13 | Yan Lu | — | |
| 14 | Kristen Bucklin | — | |
| 14 | Deidre Sweet-Sharp | — | |
| 15 | A. Goel | — | |
| 16 | Ash Goel | — | |
| 17 | Anonymous Anonymous | — | |
| 18 | Kendyl Harris | — | |
| 19 | Bree Parker | — | |
| 20 | Elizabeth Holmes | — | |
| 21 | Rick Winters | — | |
| 22 | Brooke Winters | — | |
| 23 | Xiaoe Guan | — | |
| 24 | Brandon Brown | — | |
| 25 | Natasha Bourlon | — | |
| 26 | Kristie Aris | — | |
| 27 | Kaira Hoang | — | |
| 28 | Kentaro Batai | — | |
| 29 | Amber French | — | |
| 30 | Anonymous Anonymous | — | |
| 31 | ryan sweet | — |
Read what other athletes have to say about their experience at the Miles 4 Smiles.
Be the first to share your experience with the community!
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