about
Built by athletes who remember their first team
The coach who showed up. The season that stuck with us. We're turning the start we got into thousands more: free, team-based programs for kids who'd otherwise go without.
Chapter 1
Charlottesville, VA
our story
One chapter, one dream
In 2018, a small group of UVA student-athletes started showing up at a field in Charlottesville every Sunday. Our goal was simple: to create a community where every kid has an introduction to sports, especially those who were previously sidelined.
Word got around. Kids brought siblings. Siblings brought friends. Athletes from other sports started volunteering. Students at other universities reached out asking how to start their own chapter.
Seven years later, Run Your City is a national nonprofit with 98 chapters across the U.S., run by thousands of college athletes passing the baton to the next generation, plus international camps in Rwanda and Nigeria run alongside local partners.
how it works
Two models, shared mission
U.S. Model
Campus-led, community-rooted
- Two 6-week seasons a year, every spring and fall
- An hour a week of practice, capped by a season-ending race
- Run by college student-athletes as coaches and mentors
- Always free, with snacks and drinks provided
- Open to every kid K–8
International Model
Locally led, community-built
- One annual 8-day camp
- Daily practice, capped by a community-wide race
- Run by local nonprofits, supported by RYC
- Always free, with meals, healthcare, and essentials provided
- Focused on girls, kids with disabilities, and highest-need youth
what we believe
Three non-negotiables
01
Always free
Cost is never the reason a kid can't join us. No fees, no asterisks.
02
Kids first, always
100% of donations go to the programs. We don't take overhead from donation dollars, period.
03
Local matters
Every chapter is rooted in its own community, led by college athletes who live there and serve kids who live there.