Clusterbusters Annual VIRTUAL #CureforCluster 5k Run/Walk
The 10th Annual #CureforCluster VIRTUAL 5k Run/Walk for Cluster Headache Research by Clusterbusters is officially a VIRTUAL 5K! Cluster headaches are a debilitating neurological condition that affect a smaller population than Migraine and other common headache disorders. This virtual event allows clusterheads from around the globe to participate and raise awareness for cluster headaches in their hometown.
We feel this is the best way to raise awareness and funding across the country and internationally. Whether it’s just you or a group of people, you simply sign up on our website and then walk or run 3.1 miles on or before Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026. Unlike years prior, we will not be sending out race bags and t-shirts. Instead, participants will receive a token of appreciation in the mail a few days after the event.
What is a Virtual 5k?
A Virtual 5K is completed on your own or with a group of friends, family, and coworkers. Anyone in the world can participate on or before Tuesday, June 23rd. You can use a treadmill at home or in a gym. You can run outside in your own neighborhood or at a local park. You can bring your children, use strollers, or participate in a wheelchair. There’s no time limit, so you can run or walk 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) at your own pace. Your pets can even participate with you! One of the benefits of a virtual 5k is that there are no added costs of travel and hotel stays.
How Does the #CureforCluster Virtual 5k for Cluster Headaches Work?
The #CureforCluster Virtual 5k process is simple and straightforward:
- Sign up to participate on the Race Website.
- Invite your friends and family to sign up with you or donate on your behalf for the 5k.
- You will receive a package in the mail from the Race Director a few days before the #CureforCluster event. International participant packages are sent earlier to account for shipping delays.
- On the third Saturday of June (June 23, 2026), wear your #CureforCluster t-shirt and run/walk a 5k wherever it is easiest for you.
- Take photos in your race t-shirt and post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using #CureforCluster in the post. You can tag @Cluster_buster on Twitter.
The Friday before the #CureforCluster starts the occasion off with a Facebook Live event on the Clusterbusters page where the Race Director goes over the 5k details and discusses why it’s important to raise awareness and funding for cluster headaches. The day of the 5k starts with another Facebook Live event where we kick off the run-walk from St. Joseph, Michigan, at 9 am EST. Participants have the option of starting their 5k at the same time as the Michigan group. Determine your time zone in relation to Eastern Time.
Any questions you have about the event can be asked through the race website.
The History of the #CureforCluster 5k Event
In 2016, we hosted the first-ever 5k run/walk in Denver to raise funding for cluster headache research and spread awareness of this debilitating condition. We had a great turn out in Colorado but realized we could increase our reach by turning the event into a virtual one, so clusterheads around the world could take part. The number of runners and walkers increases each year exponentially, growing from just 27 in 2016 to more than 100 in 2019 in seven countries.
The next #CureforCluster virtual 5k is slated for June 23, 2026, and we hope to expand even more. The event has helped us fund research into the burden of cluster headache and the issues facing many clusterheads today, including suicidality and access to oxygen and other treatments.