The Story of CSVANW’s I Will Run for Them 5K

Every October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), our communities come together in movement and medicine. What began as a small gathering in 2016 has grown into a powerful tradition: the I Will Run for Them 5K. For nearly a decade, this run has created sacred space to honor survivors, remember loved ones, and uplift the cycle-breakers leading our communities toward healing.

In the early years, the 5K was known as I Will Run for Her, centering the reality that 4 out of 5 Native women will experience violence in their lifetime. It was a call to action and a call to honor, for our mothers, sisters, daughters, and grandmothers. As the movement grew, so did our vision. The name shifted to I Will Run for Them to honor all of our relatives impacted by domestic and sexual violence, including LGBTQ2S+ relatives, and men who are also survivors.

Through the years, the run has continued to evolve to meet our communities where they are. In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic made gathering unsafe, we went virtual for the first time. More than 380 participants joined us from their homelands, proving that our solidarity extends beyond distance. In 2022, we went hybrid, balancing safety with our deep desire to gather again. In the years that followed, we returned to in-person runs in powerful community spaces such as Taos Pueblo and Avanyu Plaza, where movement, music, and culture merged into medicine.

Now, in 2025, we approach our 10th Annual I Will Run for Them 5K, a milestone that reflects not only the endurance of this event, but the resilience of our people. This year, we are expanding access even further by offering a virtual run alongside our in-person gathering. Whether you run with us at Isleta Lakes or from your own homeland, you are part of this movement. Choose your own starting line, and run, walk, or jog at your pace, in your way, with the same shared purpose: solidarity. REGISTER.

We run because violence continues to impact our families at alarming rates. We run because healing requires space, intention, and community. We run because every step we take is a prayer—for survivors, for cycle-breakers, and for those we have lost.

CSVANW’s mission has always been to advocate for safer communities, support survivors, and end violence through healing, education, and advocacy. The I Will Run for Them 5K embodies that mission. It is more than a race, it is a remembrance, a celebration of resilience, and a commitment to building safe, healthy futures for the next generations to come

As we lace up this October, we invite you to dedicate your miles. Who will you run for?

Together, we are the movement.

Join us on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at Isleta Lakes & RV Parks, or virtually from your own homeland. Dedicate your run, jog, or walk, and help us reclaim space for healing and solidarity.