Running Down the Walls 2026 Call to Action
Since 1999, prisoners and supporters throughout North America have participated in the annual event known as Running Down the Walls (RDTW) often running or walking simultaneously in many cities and prisons at once. Many places will be hosting the annual RDTW on or around Sunday, September 19-20th, 2026 – stay tuned to our blog at abcf.net for more details from all of the locations participating this year!
This is a non-competitive 5K run/jog/walk/roll to raise awareness and funds for political prisoners. Over the years, we have raised thousands of dollars and lots of awareness around the struggle to free political prisoners.
An important component of Running Down the Walls is the solidarity runs that take place throughout numerous cities. Solidarity runs that are held in our communities are designed to illustrate, through several small collective actions, that we have not forgotten our comrades locked up behind prison walls. Runs that are held in prisons are designed to both politicize other prisoners and to illustrate that the acts of solidarity have been heard.
This annual event is also one of the primary fundraisers for the ABCF Warchest Program – a fund designed to assist political prisoners who normally receive little or no financial support with monthly checks. Other funds raised should be used to support local groups of your choosing, whether that is your own organization or another group you’d like to support. The choice is yours.
To highlight the importance of these events, we will provide you with two statements from our comrades concerning RDTW.
As we ran we were thinking and talking about all the runners in Los Angeles and how we’d love to be out there running with them. We also spoke about the other political prisoners who were running with us in at least some other prisons… Not only our pace and spirits soared, but the sun broke through the clouds and the temperature rose to the 60s. So we ran down the walls and ran up the sun and we were glad to be doing it.– Jaan Laaman
Regardless of how one identifies politically, support for Running Down the Walls can be an important statement of solidarity in an era that binds the movement for the most equitable social reality unduly fragmented. Such support is not only recognition of the trial and tribulations suffered by the diversity of PP/POWs imprisoned for their contributions to the struggle. It is also an affirmation that the many voices recognizing those contributions and seeking justice for the prisoners are at least fellow travelers who have much more in common than at odds and share the same side of the barricade. – Bill Dunne
We must collectively raise our voices in support of those held behind the prison walls. We must let them know that we are here for them until they are free.
We must Run Down the Walls!
SUPPORT THE STRUGGLE
Remember that many of those arrested in the past or present are not far from us. Many of them were and are community and labor activists, queer and environmental activists people who decided to speak out against various forms of oppression and paid the price of freedom for their actions. Any one of these people could have at one time stood beside us at a demonstration, speak-out, or even an organizing meeting. At any moment it could be us who Ind ourselves in this situation, so we must ensure that a strong community of support exists for these people as well as ourselves. The strength of our movement is determined by how much we support our comrades.
GET INVOLVED
• Be a participant: Ask comrades, family and friends to sponsor you (you can use this trifold to keep track of your sponsorship contributions)! Post videos and photos on social media using hashtags #RDTW, #RunningDowntheWalls, #FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners, etc.
• Sponsor a participant: This can be done through a donation to the runner/walker/roller of your choice. Contact us if you’d like to sponsor someone running inside a prison walls.
• Sponsor Running Down the Walls: Any amount helps. Contact la[at]abcf.net if you wish to simply donate money. Organizations can donate and be added to the list of sponsor organizations on the website and flyers/posters.
• Donate to the Warchest: You can send funds to Lancaster ABCF, P.O. Box 8682, Lancaster, PA 17604 indicating your desire for those funds to go to the Warchest. Please make checks and money orders to Tim Fasnacht. You can use the following apps to make a donation too.
• Organize a Running Down the Walls in your area: We’d be excited to expand the solidarity runs in more cities and prisons if are interested in organizing this event in your area. Events can be as big or small as you choose. Contact la[at]abcf.net if you would like support or advice on organizing an event in your area.
2026 Events
As of August 2026, Running Down the Walls 5K’s are being organized in:
Los Angeles, CA
Mark your calendars! Running Down the Walls is September 19 @ Echo Park Lake. As our feet pound the concrete, the walls of injustice will crumble! Come join us as we run in solidarity with our imprisoned comrades. Amandla!
Donate at https://fundrazr.com/abcfRDTW26
Bloomington, IN
Running Down the Walls is an annual event that happens in many cities across North America. It is an anti-competitive 5K (run, walk, roll, or just hang out) to raise money for political prisoners. In 2025, BABC had our third RDTW and it was a huge success! We will be back at it the afternoon of September 19th, 2026.
https://bloomingtonabc.noblogs.org/events/rdtw-2026/
Chicago, IL
Join us outside the federal jail downtown for RUNNING DOWN THE WALLS, the annual inside/outside 5K marathon, generator show and ABCF Warchest fundraiser in solidarity with political prisoners. FREE THEM ALL!
MCC Chicago – Sept 19th 2026
71 W Van Buren
5PM Rally, March & 5K Marathon
7PM Generator show with bands and DJs (TBA)
We descend upon MCC Chicago amidst a dramatic escalation of fascist repression under the Trump administration. Federal agents are ravaging our communities to murder and kidnap with impunity while dissent is targeted as terrorism. Now more than ever we must stand together to bring a fierce and endless solidarity; to have the backs of those facing repression while bringing the resistance to the front gates. Free the Prairieland defendants! Free all political prisoners! Free them all!
https://www.instagram.com/chicagoabc
Brooklyn, NY
WHAT: Running Down the Walls – 5k Run/Walk/Jog/Bike/Hang
WHEN: 2:00-7:00pm, Sunday, September 20th, 2026
WHERE: Prospect Park– Lincoln Road/East Lake Drive, east of the Terrace Bridge
COST: $20 registration, participants encouraged to get sponsors (includes vegan BBQ afterwards, with COVID precautions for serving!); $40 includes an exclusive t-shirt.
Donate at paypal.me/nycabc or venmo.com/nycabc
NYC Anarchist Black Cross (NYC ABC) is excited to announce Running Down the Walls 2026–the 27th Anniversary of Running Down the Walls since it was started by ABCF-LA. We are looking very forward to gathering as a community. For the last several of years, we’ve had an amazing time and successful fundraisers.
This year’s run will take place on Sunday, September 20th, 2026 at 2:00 pm in solidarity and conjunction with runs that will take place in cities and prison yards across the country at the same time. Stay after to enjoy a vegan BBQ!
REGISTER AS, OR SPONSOR, A PARTICIPANT:
To raise our goal of $5,000 we need your support.
Promote – print and distribute Byers and posters to friends and local businesses, your doctor’s oyce, laundromat, food co-op, wealthy benefactor, et cetera.
Run/walk/bike/roll in the 5k – We need participants who can run/walk/bike/roll the 5k and are able to collect financial pledges–from friends, family, coworkers, to o’er as donations to the run. Download the brochure, complete with registration and sponsor form.
Donate to the run/sponsor a participant – If you are not able to attend, but want to support this fundraising effort please mail donations to: NYC ABC / Post Office Box 110034, Brooklyn, New York 11211
Your donation of $20 or more entitles you to the celebratory picnic after the event. $40 or more includes an exclusive t-shirt.
Each year, we split proceeds between the Anarchist Black Cross Federation’s Warchest Program and a local organization. This year, local funds are going to the legal defense for Angry Asian Womxn.
Warchest Program: The Anarchist Black Cross
Angry Asian Womxn: Safety, self-defense and liberation. Radical Asian feminist mutual aid + activism. As a group of immigrants and children of immigrants we organize against fascism, to abolish ICE, and for our collective freedom.
https://nycabc.wordpress.com/2026/08/25/rdtw2026/
Ft Lauderdale, FL
Come join us to walk, roll, run, jog for the 27th Annual Anarchist Black Cross Federation Running Down the Walls event!!!!! This event is held every year to raise funds for political prisoners. DM us to pre-order your shirt today. All proceeds will go directly towards political prisoners. We will be taking orders from now until 09/04/2026! There will be refreshments and snacks provided. See you there!
https://www.instagram.com/abc.sfl
Lowell, MA
September 20th at 11am for a 12 Noon 5K at Boarding House Park – 40 French Street, Lowell MA. This is a non-competitive 5K (Run/Walk/Roll) to raise funds for the ABCF Warchest for Political Prisoners and Political Prisoners of War. Lowell/Lawrence ABC is a chapter of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation. We do this in the tradition of Mutual Aid Solidarity – Not charity or social capital.
Kingston, NY
Where: We will be congregating at Kingston Point Beach, and the 5k will be a there-and-back on the Empire State Trail to the Sojourner Truth Pavilion and back to the Beach Park. There will be food, water, shade, and non-athletic activities. Kids are welcome!
In the RDTW tradition, we will be raising money for the ABCF Warchest Program – a fund designed to assist political prisoners who normally receive little or no financial support with monthly checks. This year, we will be using half of the funds raised to support a local comrade enduring incarceration as well as supporting their family while they are imprisoned. Receipts of donations will be published on the African Roots Center’s social media following the event.
Eugene, OR
This year’s Running Down the Walls will be Sunday, September 20, 2 PM at Alton Baker Park. This is an anti-competitive 5k to raise funds for political prisoners. We will be running/walking/rolling/skating together in solidarity with communities in many different cities, and with our incarcerated comrades. Proceeds will be split between the Anarchist Black Cross Federation Warchest and the Prairieland Defendants:
Suggested donation is $10. Contribute as you are able; no one turned away for lack of funds. You can Venmo donations to @NACEugene with RDTW in the subject line.
Seattle, WA
Seattle Running Down the Walls 5K 2026
9/19 @ Genesee Park
Meet up at Shelter #1; route is along a level gravel path with some slopes.
5K starts at 2pm, hang out until around 6pm.
All proceeds to ABCF Warchest Program – a fund designed to assist political prisoners who normally receive little or no financial support with monthly checks.
We must collectively raise our voices in support of those held behind the prison walls.
We must let them know that we are here for them until they are free.
We must Run Down the Walls!
