This year, the Race for Campus Safety continued to experience remarkable growth at both Washington State University in Pullman and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. In Pullman, the community came alive with appearances from hometown mascots W.T. Bank of Washington Trust Bank, Butch T. Cougar, and Joe Vandal — bringing energy and excitement to another event with record setting student attendance. Salt Lake City mirrored this success, with Swoop and Bumble the Bee rallying crowds and cheering on participants. From start to finish, the atmosphere in both locations reflected the passion the campuses and communities share for improving campus safety and raising awareness.
A major driver of this momentum was the incredible support from across the region. With more than 400 volunteers contributing between the 2 events, we saw the largest volunteer turnout in the history of Lauren McCluskey Foundation events. Their efforts helped welcome more than 1,300 runners and over 1,900 total attendees. There was also an exceptional volunteer turnout from Alpha Chi Omega, Goldman Sachs, and the track and field teams at Washington State University, the University of Utah, and the University of Idaho — all of whom played essential roles in creating a smooth, energetic race experience. Additionally, the events featured a record number of local vendors, nonprofit partners, and gyms offering fitness challenges and warm ups, continuing to help grow the Race into a large-scale community event.
This year also saw the expansion of participant opportunities through the 1K, 5K, and 10K race options, allowing more individuals and teams to take part through Student Affairs-supported race registration discounts at Washington State University and the University of Utah. The Race continued its beloved Brooks Running shoe giveaways, and introduced No Weigh backpack giveaways from Under Armour — which quickly became a highlight among participants. Together, the growing attendance, deepening community partnerships, and strengthened race-day experiences reflect the momentum behind our shared mission: helping campuses become safer, more supportive spaces for students everywhere.
