Saturdays at Woodlawn Lake Gym: 8:00am March through Thanksgiving weekend · 9:00am starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving through February. Details
San Antonio · Grades 1–12 · 501(c)(3)
Every kid has a dream. We help them run it down.
Running Down A Dream is a San Antonio 501(c)(3) nonprofit that gives kids free running shoes, health education and mentorship. Every Saturday, our volunteer coaches lace up next to them to set goals, train for a race and cross the finish line.
We collect new and gently worn running and athletic shoes from families, runners, local athletic stores and community partners across San Antonio and Central Texas.
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Clean
Every gently used pair is cleaned and disinfected so it's ready for its next runner.
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Give back
Shoes go to San Antonio and Bexar County kids from low-income families. Charitable donations buy new pairs through our partner stores.
Drop off shoes
Bring them to Woodlawn Lake Gymnasium (219 Alexander Ave, San Antonio) any Saturday during run club. Kids' sizes are always in highest demand.
Every Saturday · 8:30–10:00am
Have more than a few pairs? Contact us and we'll try to arrange a pickup.
Our weekly program
Run 4 Life
A free youth running program and Saturday run/walk club for San Antonio kids in 1st through 12th grade. Kids make friends, set health goals and train with coaches and mentors for a local 5K, 10K or half marathon of their choice.
No shoes? No problem. No experience? Even better. Every fitness level is welcome, and parents are encouraged to run or walk along.
Want more miles? Join our weekday runs with Dreamers Run Club: Mondays at 7pm and Fridays at 6am around the city. Details
Every Saturday
8:00am March through Thanksgiving weekend 9:00am starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving through February
Woodlawn Lake Gymnasium
219 Alexander Ave, San Antonio, TX 78201. Meet out front.
Parking and drop-off
Use the lot across the street from the gym on Alexander Ave.
A plan matched to each kid's distance, speed and experience, with a log to track it all the way to race day.
Health education
How to fuel with food, how much water to drink, and how much movement a growing body needs.
Mentors
Local coaches and runners who share their own wins, setbacks and advice, on the run and off it.
Mental grit
Running is half mental. Kids learn to push through hard miles and carry that into school and life.
Rewards
Finish your race and earn prizes like gift cards and movie or Six Flags tickets. Beat your time in our weekly time trials and earn $5 on the spot.
Donate
Change the course of a kid's life this Saturday.
Every charitable gift buys new shoes through our partner stores and keeps our youth programs free. Running Down A Dream is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity, so your donation is tax-deductible. Individual donors, family foundations, local businesses and community groups across San Antonio and Central Texas make this work possible.
EIN 87-1388553
Choose an amount
$75 puts one kid in a brand-new pair of running shoes.
Local businesses and corporate giving programs can sponsor our July 5K & 10K, shoes or rewards, with banners, co-branded gear and a spot on our sponsor wall.
Running Down A Dream is a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit working at the intersection of youth development, children's health and mentorship. We remove a real barrier to physical activity, the cost of a good pair of shoes, for kids from underserved, low-income and predominantly Hispanic and Latino families in San Antonio and Bexar County. Next, we're bringing our free youth programs to Austin and Central Texas.
Youth developmentChildren's health & wellnessPhysical activityHealth educationYouth mentorshipOut-of-school-time programsHealth equityCommunity building
Funding priorities
New running shoes for kids in need ($75 per pair)
100+ race entries a year for our runners (about $45 each)
[Founder photo: Shawn holding an armful of donated shoes]
Our story
It started with a kid and his dad.
Our founder, Shawn Barnett, started running with his dad at five. At eight he finished the Austin Half Marathon, at the time the youngest person ever to do it. His dad's running group gave him mentors, a community and a healthy escape from pressures at school. Running Down A Dream exists so that a pair of shoes never keeps a kid from that same community.
Founded in 2021, we've met nearly every Saturday at Woodlawn Lake since 2022, and we're getting ready to bring Run 4 Life to Austin.
