Run 4 Their Lives Lynchburg 5k Run/Walk

Run 4 Their Lives is a Freedom 4/24 event that raises awareness and funds to prevent and end human trafficking both locally and globally.

Run 4 Their Lives is Freedom 4/24’s 5k race tradition- created to bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking.  Since its inception, this race has developed to become a fundraiser and tool to implement prevention education.  We ask participants to partner with us in advocacy efforts by becoming fundraisers and using the race as a platform to share about the issue of human trafficking and the work of Freedom 4/24. Funds raised through each Run 4 Their Lives race are used to support the continued prevention and restoration work in the fight for freedom both locally and globally.

Click HERE to learn more.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Become a fundraiser! Share information about human trafficking with your friends and family and ask them to support your efforts to run for freedom and fight injustice! Click the Fundraiser tab to set up a personalized R4TL fundraising web page that you can easily email or post on social media - raise $50 and you run free!

Since its inception in 2009, the Run 4 Their Lives race series has spread across the country providing Freedom 4/24 with a national platform through which to raise awareness and funds to fight human trafficking both domestically and abroad. 

Go HERE to become a Run 4 Their Lives 5k sponsor today. 

PRESENTING SPONSOR - $10,000

R4TL presented by (your company's name)" printed on all race promotional material - must meet print deadline
Logo on all mile marker signs and any additional signs along the race route
Special thanks in press release
Special thanks at the event and in race packets
Logo on Step & Repeat banner displayed prominently
Bi-weekly recognition on social media
Table space for interactive promotion at the event
30 free race registrations
Large logo displayed prominently on back of race shirt, event website, and on sponsorship banner at event
Opportunity to have promotional material in race packet
Name listed as a sponsor in race packets
Logo on event website

TITLE SPONSOR - $5000 - $9,999

Logo on all mile marker signs and any additional signs along the race route
Special thanks at the event and in race packets
Logo on Step & Repeat banner displayed prominently
Three-time recognition on social media
Table space for interactive promotion at the event
20 free race registrations
Large logo displayed prominently on back of race shirt, event website, and on sponsorship banner at event
Opportunity to have promotional material in race packet
Name listed as a sponsor in race packets
Logo on event website

FREEDOM SPONSOR - $2,500 - $4,999

Sponsorship banner displayed at event
Special thanks at the event and in race packets
Three-time recognition on social media
Table space for interactive/promotion at the event
10 free race registrations
Large logo on back of race shirt
Opportunity to have promotional material in race packets
Name listed as a sponsor in race packets
Logo on event website

RESCUE SPONSOR -$1,000 - $2,499

Sponsorship banner displayed at event
Special thanks at the event and in race packets
Two-time recognition on social media
Table space for interactive/promotion at the event
 5 free race registrations
Medium logo on back of race shirt
Opportunity to have promotional material in race packets
Name listed as a sponsor in race packets
Logo on the event website

HOPE SPONSOR - $500 - $999

Recognition on social media
Table space available for products/promotional material
2 free race registrations
Logo on back of race shirt
Opportunity to have promotional materials in race packets
Name listed as sponsor in race packets
Logo on the event website

JUSTICE SPONSOR - $250 - $499

Name listed on back of race shirt
Opportunity to have promotional materials in race packets
Name listed as a sponsor in race packets
Logo on the event website

ADVOCACY SPONSOR - $150-$249

Name listed as a sponsor in race packets
Logo on the event website

Freedom 4/24 exists to prevent and end sexual exploitation and trafficking locally and globally. We raise awareness, provide prevention education, and expand the restoration work of our partners.

Run 4 Their Lives is Freedom 4/24’s race series which is held in cities across the United States to bring communities together for a family friendly, hopeful event to increase awareness of human trafficking, share stories of girls who are now rescued and free, and to encourage continued advocacy. Often participants increase their advocacy efforts by becoming fundraisers and using the race as a platform to share about the issue of human trafficking and the work of Freedom 4/24. Click HERE to learn more.

Prevention is the key to ending human trafficking. 

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x97BMT1DeY

Refer 1 or more participants and get a refund of up to $12.00. Share your referral code with family and friends and for each of the first FOUR people who register using your referral code, you will receive a $2 refund. For the FIFTH registrant using your code, you are refunded up to $12! So, share your referral code and encourage people to come out and run!

 It’s Not Knowing the Signs – It’s Knowing the Story

Human trafficking is a pervasive, global problem with acute consequences for the survivors and it is happening right here in the United States. We know that 93% of victims of sexual abuse and exploitation (0-17 years old) know and have some sort of relationship with their perpetrator. There was a connection before exploitation ever started. 

What does trafficking look like in your community? 

• More than 6,352 total cases of human trafficking have been reported to the Hotline since 2007 in the state of Virginia
• According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported call data, there were 119 sex trafficking cases reported in 2020 in Virginia
• Of the active sex trafficking cases in Virginia in 2020, 27 involved child victims

Human Trafficking Hotline: Virginia

2026 Lynchburg Road Runners Spring Race Series
This year's event is race #6 of the 2026 Lynchburg Road Runners Spring Race Series. There is no additional fee to participate in the Race Series. Participants do not need to be a Lynchburg Road Runners Club member to place in the Race Series.

Lynchburg Road Runners Club Member Discount:  
A $5.00 discount is available to current Lynchburg Road Runners Club members. Discounts will not be given after April 19, 2026.  Participant membership must be current with LRRC membership roster found on RunSignUp. Discounts will be given at checkout automatically. Refunds and/or discounts will not be given after completing online race registration. Discount does not apply to special 12 & under pricing. The LRRC discount period is March 1, 2026 – April 19, 2026.

Please note:  A LRRC discount is valid only for participants whose membership is current on race day (5/3/2025). A LRRC membership expiring prior to race day will not be eligible for the club discount. To renew your membership please visit https://runsignup.com/Club/VA/Lynchburg/LynchburgRoadRunnersClub  

Awards for Top Finishers

Top 3 Male & Female finishers and Top Master Finishers receive a branded coaster.

Top 3 in each age group receive medals!

Packet Pick Up & Thrive LYH Expo

When: Friday, April 17 from 5-8pm:

Where: 1501 Liberty Mountain Drive at the Parking Lot for Liberty University's Indoor Track Facility.

What: You will have an opportunity to pick up your race bag, and race t-shirt the night before the race. This year we are partnered with Thrive LYH Health and Wellness Expo to offer you an educational and entertaining experiencing at Packet Pick Up.  Food vendors, healthy resources, giveaway and more await so bring your family to spend the evening with us.

Kids Run (Registration Required)

When: Friday, April 17 from 7:00-7:20 pm during Packet-Pick-Up and the Family Fun Night

Where: 1501 Liberty Mountain Drive at the Parking Lot for Liberty University's Indoor Track Facility

What: A kids' fun run for children ages 12 and under. Children will be able to participate in a 1 Mile Run and be a part of the mission of Freedom 4/24 by Running 4 Their Lives.

"You Can Bring Prevention"

DID YOU KNOW: 

• 1 in 3 students have seen pornography by the age of 12 years old?
• 81% of adolescents (ages 14-18) have seen pornography
• According to Crimes Against Children and the National Center for Missing and Exploited
  Children - child online solicitation increased fourfold in 2020

PREVENT IT:

Isolation can bring about greater curiosity and access to pornography and inappropriate content. Do not allow devices with access to the internet in bedrooms. Instead, keep your electronic devices and internet access in common areas. 

DID YOU KNOW:

• 1 in 7 youth sends a sex and 1 in 4 forwards it
• 83% of sex traffickers use the internet to solicit buyers
• 93% of the time victims know and have a relationship with their their perpetrator

PREVENT IT: 

Have ongoing conversations with youth in your life on the characteristics of healthy and toxic relationships. Don’t forget to spend time evaluating your own!

Go to freedom424.org/educate for more resources on how to start the conversation, keep it going, and prevent human trafficking and sexual exploitation

So, how can you bring prevention? 

1) Attend our FREE Parenting Workshop on May 1st 

It’s a unique time to be a kid today and you might feel powerless, overwhelmed and confused about where to begin protecting your kids. This workshop will give you tangible steps to immediately connect with your children and navigate being a parent where an over-sexualized culture is considered “normal." We want to encourage and equip you to be the most powerful voice of truth and love your kids have.

When: Saturday, May 1 from 9-11 am
Where: Mission House Coffee (downtown location)
Content by: Freedom 4/24's Prevention Education Manager, Faith Towles

This event is free to attend, but registration is required. Registration closes Wednesday April 28th. For questions regarding the event, contact faith@freedom424.org.

You can register for the event here. 

2) Register for the race.

By registering for the race you are participating in amplifying the voice of your community saying "NO MORE". The reality is that kids are being trafficked and exploited from right here in the United States, in Knoxville, in their schools, and even in their homes. By participating in this race, you are taking an active step to stand up for the vulnerable, educate yourself, and through awareness, prevent exploitation from becoming apart of another child's story. 

If you are already registered, take the next step by signing up to become a fundraiser and take your advocacy even further. 

3) Engage with the youth in your life and sign up to go through our Prevention Education online for FREE

Freedom 4/24 partners with Power over Predator to offer FREE online training to upper middle school and high school students to educate themselves on the reality of the world we live in and give them practical everyday tools to protect themselves from exploitation. You can go through this program as a family, with your child, or use it as a resource for your youth to engage with. 
Please complete this interest form to connect with Freedom 4/24 to receive free prevention education. 

4) Watch our parenting series on how to prevent exploitation and have conversations with the youth in your life on these hard issues, featuring Freedom 4/24's Prevention Education Manager and various subject experts. 

This facebook live series called "Opening Up: Talking to Your Kids About Exploitation" is an amazing, FREE resource for parents to learn more about the realities facing our youth today. With eight episodes spanning a range of topics from pornography to simply how to connect with your child and have the hard conversation, Freedom 4/24's Prevention Education Manager, Faith Towles, has conversations with principals, college students, and a professional counselor to empower you as a parent to prevent exploitation from happening in your child's life! 

You can watch the series here. 

LOCATION: Liberty University Indoor Track and Natatorium

ADDRESS: 1521 Liberty Mountain Dr, Lynchburg, VA 24515 

Friday, April 17- Packet Pick Up, Kids' 1 Mile Run, and Thrive LYH Health and Wellness Expo

Packet Pick-Up

When: Friday, April 17 from 5-8pm

Where: 1501 Liberty Mountain Drive at Liberty University's Indoor Track Facility.

What: Pick up you race bag and t-shirt so you can arrive ready on Saturday morning.  Pick up is available Saturday morning from 7:30-8:30 if you cannot make it on Friday. 

Kids' 1 Mile Run-Registration Required!

When: Friday, April 17 from 7:00-7:20pm during Packet-Pick-Up 

Where: 1501 Liberty Mountain Drive at the Parking Lot for Liberty University's Indoor Track Facility

What: A kids fun run for children ages 12 and under. Children will be able to participate in a 1 Mile Run and be a part of the Mission of Freedom 4/24 by Running 4 Their Lives.

Thrive LYH Health and Wellness Expo

When: Friday, April 17 from 5-8pm

Where: 1501 Liberty Mountain Drive at Liberty University's Indoor Track Facility.

What: Feed your family and experience the first Thrive LYH Health and Wellness Expo. This Expo features over 50 health and wellness vendors including resources for emotional, physical, relational, mental and spiritual health. 

Saturday, April 18- Run 4 Their Lives and Thrive LYH Expo

Run 4 Their Lives 5k 

When: April 18, at 9am. Registration opens at 7:30am and the road closes at 8:40am. Please plan on arriving before 8:40am to secure a parking spot and ensure your participation in the event before the road closure.  Packet Pick Up will be available until 8:30am for those who cannot make it Friday.

Where: The race start and finish will be at the parking lot of the Liberty University Indoor Track on Liberty Mountain Drive (the second entrance on Liberty Mountain Drive.) 1501 Liberty Mountain Drive Lynchburg, VA 24515

What: Run 4 Their Lives is a Freedom 4/24 event designed to raise awareness and funding for the mission of Freedom 4/24; to prevent and end sexual exploitation and trafficking locally and globally. This year participants choose who they want to run/walk for. Someone in their life that they want to advocate for to make sure that trafficking is not a part of their story. Together we educate, bring awareness, and protect against the atrocity of exploitation and trafficking. Let's stand and fight together to prevent it and END it.  Whose name will you choose? 

Thrive LYH Health and Wellness Expo

When: Saturday April 18, 10-3pm

Where: 1501 Liberty Mountain Drive at Liberty University's Indoor Track Facility.

What: Bring your family and experience the first Thrive LYH Health and Wellness Expo. This Expo features over 50 health and wellness vendors including resources for emotional, physical, relational, mental and spiritual health. We will provide the Lynchburg community opportunity for education, giveaways, interactive fitness engagements, and so much more!

Parking is available in the Indoor Track complex parking lots. 
**IMPORTANT: Runners- Please arrive by 8:30 am at the latest on race day. The road will close and PARKING WILL CLOSE AT 8:40 am and will not reopen until all runners and walkers are off the course. We expect that roads will be reopened around 10am for Expo attendees.

On May 3rd, you can join us in running from their lives, from wherever you are, if you are unable to join us in person! 

How does a virtual 5k work?!

1.  REGISTER

Register for the Run 4 Their Lives Lynchburg Virtual 5k. You can either run for free by becoming a fundraiser and raising $50 to help end human trafficking or you can pay the flat registration fee of $24. You can also pick up your race bag in person, or select the shipping option for an additional $5 during registration

2. PRINT YOUR BIB

Print off your Run 4 Their Lives Lynchburg Virtual 5k race bib and personalize. Pin it on your shirt before you leave to start your 5k!

3. RUN/ WALK

On April 24th at 9am you run your race! You can walk, run, jog, hike or even hop on your treadmill. Track your run/walk on Garmin, Strava, Map My Run, or another platform. Or with a stopwatch on your phone and a piece of paper. 

4. SUBMIT YOUR RESULTS

• Submit your Run 4 Their Lives Virtual 5K race photos and race experience recaps on your personal social media or to the R4TL Lynchburg Facebook page
• Share about your race experience and use the hashtag #R4TLlynchburg and tag @freedom424
• Upload your results. More details on how to upload your times to come! 

5. YOU DID IT!!!

Congratulations! By running in the Run 4 Their Lives  Lynchburg- Virtual 5K, you have joined the team in becoming an advocate for ending human trafficking! Remember that the more you share about your virtual run, the more you can be part of spreading awareness of this modern day form of slavery!

What is the Run 4 Their Lives Lynchburg Virtual 5k?
To practice social distancing while still being a voice for the voiceless, on May 3rd at 9am you can join us in Running 4 Their lives but from your own locations! You can walk, run, or even hop on the treadmill to prevent human trafficking and sexual exploitation from happening to youth in our world, your own community, and even those you directly influence. 

Why run a virtual 5k? Because there are still victims all around us.
In the midst of this chaos in our world, we still feel called to use our platform to advocate for victims of trafficking because they are still being sexually exploited, and we won't stop fighting for their freedom.

Our Run 4 Their Lives 5k races raises awareness and financial support for our partner organizations on the frontlines. The proceeds of the event help fight human trafficking and give victims of this injustice the support they need to be FREE. The proceeds also support Freedom 4/24 in our mission of providing prevention education to our community. 

Our in person event will be following federal and local guidelines regarding COVID-19 at the time of the event. The virtual race is a perfect opportunity for you if: 

1) you are still comfortable participating in large events or are part of an at risk population

2) we have reached our event cap but you still want to participate in the event

3) you are not in the Lynchburg area but want to Run 4 Their Lives with us 

How do I sign up for the virtual race?
To register for the virtual race, visit www.freedom424.org/lyh. Registration is the same as before, except now you can run from anywhere! This event is for kids of all ages! Invite your friends and family to sign up to run/walk with you! 

Will I still receive my race t-shirt? 

You will still receive a race packet and t-shirt as a virtual participant, however we cannot guarantee that you will receive your race packet by race day. When you register you can select an option to pick up your packet in person if you are local to the Lynchburg area, or you can select the shipping option for an additional $5 to have the race packet mailed to you. 

Some of your questions are not answered?
We know you may have more questions, and we have more details to come! Monitor your email and we will send updates and more detailed information about the event soon. Or reach out to events@freedom424.org!

Stay well, keep praying, and let's join together as a community to fight this injustice from our streets (or treadmills). Register to run/walk here!

Sincerely,

The Freedom 4/24 Team

Print this VIRTUAL Race Bib and pin it to your t-shirt on race day! Race Bib Dimensions: 7.5in x 6in

Take a photo and tag @freedom424 on race day!

Interested in participating virtually? Sign up for our virtual race below!

SIGN UP - VIRTUAL