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Running

The Jay Walkers Challenge

Date
September 1–30, 2026
Distance
The Jay Walkers Challenge
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From the Organizer

ABOUT JAY WALKERS

Jay Walkers gets its name from Jay Gallagher, who lost his life to suicide in 2016 at the age of 18. Jay had so much life to live and so much love to give, yet the stigma of suicide prevented him from asking for the help he knew he needed. By participating in Jay Walkers, teams will do their part to break down stigma and become life-affirming activists for suicide prevention. For more information, check out our website at www.jay-walkers.org

Jay Walkers is committed to making The Challenge accessible to all participants.  *FREE REGISTRATIONS* are available!   Thanks to the generosity of a Jay Walkers donor, we have FREE REGISTRATIONS available for those who need them. To claim a free registration, please proceed now to the free registration request form at this link: https://forms.gle/pdrw7CkPzfnxsx489

ABOUT THE STEPS CHALLENGE

Walk anywhere, make a difference everywhere!  The Jay Walkers Challenge is an annual steps challenge to inspire action for suicide prevention. During the month of September, teams of Jay Walkers from all around the world commit to completing 800,000 steps  -- that's one step in honor of every life lost worldwide annually to suicide. In addition, we encourage individuals to:

  • START CONVERSATIONS about suicide with friends, family, and others to break down stigma and strengthen the suicide safety net in your circles;
  • RAISE FUNDS to support suicide prevention measures that work; and we are excited to work with you to make a difference in your community;
  • RECRUIT NEW JAY WALKERS Help grow the Jay Walkers community and spread the word that Everyone can take steps to end suicide!

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ABOUT PEER-TO-PEER FUNDRAISING

Peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising is vital to the Jay Walkers Challenge mission and is dedicated to funding evidence-based suicide prevention measures. From funds raised in 2025, Jay Walkers was able to train clinicians in Crisis Response Planning (CRP) and teachers in the Pax Good Behavior Game. Your fundraising this year will help us make even more suicide prevention interventions available!

Become a P2P fundraiser by following the prompts during registration.

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ABOUT TEAMS

The ideal team size to reach the goal of 800,000 steps during September is 12 people. Your team can be made up of family, friends, neighbors, teammates, co-workers from your zip code or any zip code! We've had teams made up of members on both the East and West Coast of the U.S.!

Start or join a team today! (CLICK HERE FOR TEAM LEADER OVERVIEW) See steps below on how to begin:

STEP 1: REGISTER AS AN INDIVIDUAL:

  1. Click the Register Now button below to sign up as an individual Jay Walker. N O T E: Select LOG IN at the top to enter your email and password if you've participated in a runsignup event before. (You can always reset your password if you don't remember it.)
  2. If this is your first time joining an event on runsignup.com, complete the registration form that appears on the page.

STEP 2A: START A TEAM:

  1. Once your participant info is recorded, you will be asked if you want to Start a Team or Join a Team.
  2. Select Start a Team. Have your team name ready. You'll enter it here.

or STEP 2B: JOIN A TEAM:

  1. If you've been invited to join an existing team, know your team's name before you get started! When prompted, you'll select the team you want to join from a drop-down list during registration.

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Events

The Jay Walkers ChallengeTue, Sep 1 · 12:01 AMRegister →

Weather

Typical Conditions

It's too far out for a forecast, so here's what weather on this date is normally like in the area. A race day forecast will replace this as race week approaches.

Typical High

86°

Typical Low

65°

Chance of Rain

27%

Based on US Climate Normals data from Petersburg, 14 mi from the venue.

Sunrise 6:42 AMSunset 7:41 PMDaylight 12h 59m

Host City

About Chesterfield, VA

Elevation

225 ft

Nearest Airport

RIC

Richmond International Airport · 18 mi

Time Zone

Eastern Time

From Endurance Grid

Line up lodging and travel early to lock in your race weekend.

Race Location

Your Next Start Line

What Are You
Waiting For?

Every finish line starts with a single decision. Claim your spot at The Jay Walkers Challenge, put it on the calendar, and turn “someday” into a start date.

85

Days to train

Race
The Jay Walkers Challenge
Date
September 1–30, 2026

From Endurance Grid

About This Sport

Endurance Grid is here to help you understand the sport, decide if it's the right fit, and learn how to prepare. For course distances, logistics, and race-day specifics, always defer to the race organizer's event page.

With running, there's a distance for every fitness level, a community at every start line, and nothing beats the feeling of crossing a finish line you trained for.

Running is an endurance sport that rewards consistency, and showing up every week compounds in ways that will surprise you.

Read the Guide

Running

From 5K to marathon, running races are the most accessible entry point into endurance sport. There's a distance for every fitness level and a community at every start line.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is The Jay Walkers Challenge?
The Jay Walkers Challenge is a running race held in Chesterfield, Virginia on September 1, 2026. It is one of the many endurance events listed on Endurance Grid, a multi-sport endurance event calendar covering running races, triathlons, HYROX, and more endurance sports across the United States. Find more running races near you or explore our sports guides to learn what race day actually feels like.
When and where is The Jay Walkers Challenge?
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 in Chesterfield, Virginia at 16313 Longlands Rd., Chesterfield, VA. Check the event page for exact start times and wave schedules.
How do I register for The Jay Walkers Challenge?
Registration is handled through the event's registration page. Confirm pricing and distances there, and sign up.

The Jay Walkers Challenge

Sep 1, 2026

Register →