OUR MISSION & VISION
Running for a Better Oakland
A youth running program for K–12 Oakland students, built on encouragement, structure, and community — since 2010.
OUR MISSION
Go the Extra Mile
Running for a Better Oakland (RBO) is a non-profit organization that encourages Kindergarten–12th grade Oakland students to develop healthy lifestyles through running. By providing training and encouragement, RBO helps students build confidence and set goals, giving them tools for achievement and hard work they can draw on in all areas of their lives. RBO strives to build a healthy, inclusive, and prosperous community — creating new relationships, establishing trust, and empowering students, parents, and volunteers.
OUR VISION
A Community in Joyful Motion
We see a future where every Oakland neighborhood has a running community, and every young person in it has an adult in their corner. Where showing up on Saturday morning is as normal as showing up for school. Where the confidence a student builds mile by mile carries into the classroom, the job interview, the next hard thing. A community in joyful motion isn't just runners crossing finish lines — it's parents, coaches, and neighbors moving forward together, so that no Oakland kid has to go the extra mile alone.
2010
FOUNDED
501(c)(3)
NONPROFIT
$160K+
AWARED IN SCHOLARSHIPS
1,500+
STUDENTS SERVED SINCE 2023
"Our family is all the better physically and mentally because of you and the RBO family, especially during these times!"
— Isa, RBO Volunteer & Mom
Meet the People Behind RBO
Our staff, coaches, and board of directors make this mission real every Saturday.