Quick answer. Holy Redeemer Catholic School's fun run is a half-mile kids' race held right after a neighborhood 5K. In 2024 it drew 569 participants, charged $35 for the 5K and $30 for the fun run, had more than 30 local business sponsors and raised around $35,000 for academics, facilities and faculty costs. Even if every participant had paid the top fee, entries would cover at most about 57% of that; sponsors and gifts supplied the rest.
Holy Redeemer Catholic School in Kensington, Maryland, raises money with a fun run that is really two events sharing one Saturday morning: a 5K for adults and older runners, and a half-mile fun run for younger children that starts shortly after the 5K field heads out. In 2024, the Catholic Standard reported that 569 members of the school and wider community took part, more than 30 local businesses sponsored, and the morning raised around $35,000. It is one of the few fun runs in our fun run results database with a published registration fee, which makes it a useful model for schools weighing a fee-based community run against a pledge drive.
A neighborhood race with a long history
The Catholic Standard's 2024 story says the school has hosted the Cardinal 5K and half-mile Fun Run "since the early 2000s, every other year." The parish's community page also describes it as happening "every other spring." The next edition followed that rhythm: the 2026 race was held on March 21, 2026, in the school's 75th anniversary year, according to a second Catholic Standard article that counted more than 500 students, families, teachers, parishioners and neighbors taking part. The race is named for the school's cardinal mascot.
The cast is broad. In 2024 family members, faculty and a parish priest ran; several teachers raced each other for what principal Tommy Corrigan called "bragging rights." In 2026 the parochial vicar ran the 5K and the principal handed out medals to finishers. Corrigan described the 2024 morning as having "great positive vibes."
How the 5K and half-mile fun run share one morning
Runners gather in the church parking lot. The race website describes a 5K through Rock Creek Park and the Rock Creek Highlands neighborhood that includes "the Hill" on Cedar Lane before returning to the Holy Redeemer neighborhood. In 2024 many runners were surprised by how many hills they had to climb.
The half-mile fun run starts just after the 5K runners depart. Children can run or walk, and every child receives a medal; the site's phrase is "all kids are winners." A post-race party in the church parking lot, with refreshments and entertainment, keeps families on site until the 5K field returns. The half-mile distance sits within the Road Runners Club of America's youth running guidance, which suggests kids' fun runs of a half mile to a mile may be considered for children over five, with running and walking mixed.
| Element | What the sources describe |
|---|---|
| Start and finish | Church parking lot |
| Adult race | 5K route through a park and neighborhood, including a named hill |
| Kids' race | Half mile, run or walk, starts after the 5K departs; medal for every child |
| After | Post-race party on site; DJ announcements thank sponsors |
| 2024 fees | $35 for the 5K, $30 for the fun run |
Where a $35,000 fun run gets its money
Holy Redeemer's model has three revenue streams: entry fees, business sponsorships and family sponsorships. None of the sources breaks the $35,000 down by stream, so the split below is our own rough arithmetic.
Fees. Illustrative: if all 569 participants had paid the lower $30 fee, entries would total 569 × $30 = $17,070; at $35 each, 569 × $35 = $19,915. Even if all 569 had paid the top fee, entries would be at most $19,915, about 57% of the roughly $35,000 total (19,915 ÷ 35,000 = 0.569), so sponsors and gifts supplied the rest. The source gives no split between 5K and fun run entrants, and some families entered through a package (below), so the actual fee income is not known.
Business sponsors. The race's sponsor page (undated; viewed October 2026, so it may reflect the 2026 race rather than 2024) lists named tiers priced by what they pay for:
| Tier | Price |
|---|---|
| Lead Sponsor | $5,000 |
| Bib Sponsor | $3,000 |
| Packet Pick Up Sponsor | $2,500 |
| Post-Race Party Sponsor | $2,500 |
| Water Station Sponsor | $2,000 each |
| Half Mile Sponsor | $1,500 each |
| $500 donor | $500 |
| Family Sponsor | $225 |
The $500 level spells out its benefits: name on the website, race shirts and displays at registration and the party; two complimentary registrations and two shirts; a sign at the half-mile marker; promotional material in registration bags; and a mention in the DJ's announcements. Naming the upper tiers after real race objects (the bibs, the water stations, the kids' race) gives each sponsor something concrete to point to.
Family sponsors. For $225 a family gets up to six registrations for either race, plus its name on the website and on signs outside the school for up to a month before race day. At 2024 fees, six fun run entries would have cost $180 and six 5K entries $210, so the package is priced a little above the entries and sold on recognition. It turns parents into small sponsors without a separate ask.
What the money pays for
The 2024 proceeds went toward academics, facilities and faculty expenses. Corrigan tied large expenditures to the school's new five-year strategic plan, built on the four pillars of the archdiocese. Tying race money to a published plan tells sponsors and parents where it goes before they ask.
What other organizers can borrow
- Pair a kids' fun run with an adult 5K. Two races let you charge adults a real entry fee and keep children's distance short. Run the kids' race right after the 5K starts so volunteers and the finish area serve both. Our community fun run guide covers permits and course marshals for public routes.
- Price the kids' race close to the adult race if your community will bear it, and include a medal for every child. Test your numbers in the registration fee guide before you publish.
- Name sponsor tiers after things on the course (bibs, water stations, the kids' race, the party) and list exactly what the entry-level tier receives. The fun run sponsorship guide has letter and packet templates.
- Sell a family package that bundles entries with name recognition. If any payment over $75 is partly a gift and partly entries and shirts, IRS Publication 1771 requires a written disclosure of the deductible portion when the school is a qualifying charity; confirm your status with your tax adviser or diocese.
- Consider running it every other year. A biennial race asks less of volunteers and sponsors, and it has held up here for two decades.
- Tie the money to a plan and say so in every sponsor letter. Faith-based schools will find more in our private and Catholic school fun run guide.
What the sources don't tell us
No source gives costs, net proceeds, the number of fun run versus 5K entrants, how many families bought the $225 package, or whether the $35,000 includes sponsorships (it almost certainly does, but it is not stated). The frequency is also described inconsistently: 2024 coverage and the parish page say every other year, while the race website now says it "takes place in the spring each year" and the 2026 article calls it annual. The 2024 and 2026 races were two years apart. Treat the sponsor tier prices as current rather than as 2024's.
For more examples, see the other fun run case studies or start planning with our guide to fun run fundraisers.
Frequently asked questions
How much did the Holy Redeemer fun run charge to enter?
In 2024 the Catholic Standard reported fees of $35 for the 5K and $30 for the half-mile fun run. A family sponsorship of $225 covered up to six registrations plus name recognition, according to the race website.
How far is the Holy Redeemer kids' fun run?
Half a mile. Children can run or walk it, it starts shortly after the 5K runners depart, and every child receives a medal.
How often is the Cardinal 5K and Fun Run held?
The 2024 coverage and the parish page say every other spring, and the 2024 and 2026 races were two years apart. The race website now says each spring, so check its page for the current schedule.
What did the money raised pay for?
The 2024 proceeds were directed to academics, facilities and faculty expenses. The principal said large expenditures are meant to align with the school's five-year strategic plan.
Can a small school copy this model without a 5K?
Yes, but the adult race is what makes the fee and sponsor model work here, because adults pay more and draw sponsors who want neighborhood visibility. A kids-only run usually leans more on pledges or a lower fee.