Run for the Water

5,000 Runners. 100% to Burundi.

Run for the Water was founded by Gilbert Tuhabonye, a Burundian genocide survivor who escaped by running — literally — and eventually built a life and a running community in Austin, Texas. The Gazelle Foundation, which he co-founded, uses the race as its primary fundraiser to bring clean water to communities in Burundi, one of the poorest countries in the world. Every registration dollar goes directly to the mission. ESW handles full event operations for Austin's largest downtown waterfront race — the city's only 10-miler and a consistent winner of Austin Fit Magazine's reader poll.

The Gazelle Foundation's Run for the Water is held each November in downtown Austin — a 10-mile and 5K road race that runs from downtown to Tarrytown and back along the waterfront. The event celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026. ESW manages full event operations: course setup, start and finish line, participant management, vendor coordination, and the post-race Winner's Circle celebration. One hundred percent of event proceeds fund clean water system construction in Burundi. The race draws 5,000 participants annually and raises approximately $300,000 for the mission each year.

The Gazelle Foundation was co-founded by Gilbert Tuhabonye, who survived the 1993 Burundian genocide and escaped by running. He later carried the Olympic torch at the 1996 Atlanta Games, won multiple collegiate National Championships, and became a coach and community leader in Austin, Texas, where he founded the Gilbert's Gazelles running group. Run for the Water grew out of that community as a way to fund clean water infrastructure in Burundi. Now entering its 20th year, the race is Austin's largest fall downtown waterfront event and the only 10-miler in the city. It has won Austin Fit Magazine's 'Best Of' reader's poll eight times. The course runs from downtown Austin to Tarrytown and back, finishing flat and fast along the waterfront. The Hill Challenge segment on the 10-mile course adds a competitive dimension for runners looking for it.

Full operations for Austin's only 10-mile road race and largest fall waterfront event.

Run for the Water takes place on the streets of downtown Austin each November, running from the city center to Tarrytown and back along the waterfront. ESW manages the full production — course setup, start and finish areas, participant flow, vendor coordination, and the post-race celebration. The flat, fast finish and the Hill Challenge segment on the 10-mile course require careful course marking and marshal placement.