Fifteen Years, One Incredible Night: Reflecting on Run Your Own Race
Photo by Frank Thom.
Last week, more than 150 RBO supporters, sponsors, coaches, students, and friends gathered at GU Energy Labs HQ in Berkeley for something bigger than a fundraiser. Run Your Own Race wasn't just Running for a Better Oakland's biggest night of the year — it was a celebration of fifteen years spent showing up for Oakland's young runners, one student at a time.
And by the end of the night, the number said it all: together, we raised over $65,000 to keep that work going.
A Night Built on Stories
Every RBO event tells a story, but this one told several. Our speaker panel brought together elite local runners Magda Boulet, Anh Bui, Cal Calamia, and Zagdaa Baatar — athletes who've each taken very different paths to the starting line, and who spent the evening sharing the moments that have shaped them as runners.
Photo by Lindsey Singhavi.
But if you ask anyone who was in the room that night, they'll likely tell you the real heart of the evening came next: our student panel. Current and former RBO students Paloma, Sophia, Pavel, and Chun spoke honestly about what this program has meant to them — describing, in their own words, how a coach, a pair of shoes, or a race entry changed how they saw themselves. It's one thing to talk about the impact our programs have on Oakland youth, but it’s another thing entirely to watch it happen in real time.
Why Fifteen Years Matters
RBO started with a simple belief: every kid deserves the chance to discover what they're capable of. Fifteen years later, that belief has turned into something real and measurable — over 1,500 students served since 2023 alone, and more than $160,000 in scholarships awarded, all funding free coaching, shoes, race entries, and mentorship for Oakland's youth.
Anniversaries like this are a chance to look back, but they're also a chance to recommit. The need this organization was built to meet hasn't gone away — if anything, the demand for accessible coaching and mentorship in Oakland has only grown. Reaching fifteen years isn't a finish line. It's proof that this work is worth continuing, and worth doing well.
Photo by Lindsey Singhavi.
A Night Made Possible by Many
Events like this don't happen because of one person, or even one team — they happen because of a small but mighty group of people who show up again and again, putting in the work to actualize RBO’s mission. Our staff and board members spent months turning an idea into an evening. Our Coaches and Run Mentors are the ones doing the real work all year round — the reason there was a program worth celebrating in the first place. And our sponsors made the evening and our continued programming posible, funding everything from the shoes on our runners' feet to transportation to and from races.
A special thank you to our friends at GU Energy Labs, whose support goes far beyond financial sponsorship. They opened their headquarters to host this event, and their partnership with RBO runs deep — from fueling our runners to standing behind this organization's mission in more ways than we can list here. Nights like this simply don't happen without partners like them.
And to every guest who showed up, bid on an auction item, or simply sat and listened to a student's story — thank you. This event, and everything it funds, exists because you were there with us.
What Comes Next
Fifteen years ago, RBO started with a handful of kids and a simple mission to enrich their lives through running and community. Last week, that mission filled a courtyard with 150 people who believe in it too. But the real measure of that night isn't just the number we raised — it's the next students who lace up to run in shoes that RBO was able to provide, or the next coach who shows up because someone showed up for them first.
That's what fifteen years of building and showing up for this community looks like. And it's why we're already looking forward to year sixteen!
Want to be part of it? Make a gift or become a Run Mentor today. And take a look through our photo album — a night like this deserves to be remembered in more than words.
