DC Walk for Justice 5K | DC Bar Foundation

Striding toward a fair and equal civil legal experience for all.

JOIN US: OCT. 22, 2026

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EVENT INFORMATION

👟EVENT TIMELINE (THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22)

3:00 pm - Centerfield Gates, located on N Street SE, open for Walk participants
4:00 pm - Welcome Remarks and Warm-Up
4:30 pm - Walk Starts
4:45 pm - Full course cut-off (For safety and timing constraints, participants who arrive after 4:45 PM will be asked to walk a shorter lap (roughly 0.6 miles) around Nationals Park instead of the full 5K route. Participants who arrive before 4:45 PM but do not wish to walk the full 5K route are welcome to take this lap as well!)
5:00 pm - Finish Line Party food & beverage service begins
6:15 pm - Finish Line Party ends
7:30 PM - Garage C closes

👜BAG POLICY UPDATES - NO BINBOX LOCKERS & EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS EVENT INFO

PLEASE NOTE: Due to low demand, Binbox lockers will NOT be available for Walk participants. We apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause. If you must bring a bag, please adhere to Nationals Park’s bag policy. Otherwise, we encourage participants to leave personal belongings at home or in their car.

Small non-clear clutch bags measuring 5” by 7” by ¾” or smaller, with or without a handle or strap, can be taken into the ballpark. Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and do not exceed 16” by 16” by 8” are also permitted. Medical bags, diaper bags, and strollers are allowed. Walkers may bring their own plastic water bottles (metal and glass containers of any kind are prohibited). Children who are walking with their parents are not required to register.

Please click here for a complete list of prohibited items and the Nationals Bag Policy.

If you are attending the Equal Justice Works event after the Walk, one of our volunteers will check your name from the EJW attendee list, and Nationals Park security will allow you to enter with a bag containing a change of clothes. You will be directed to leave your bag in the Change Up Food Hall at the back of Centerfield Plaza and may use the restroom stalls to change before heading to the EJW event.

🚗COMPLIMENTARY PARKING

Complimentary parking in Garage C at Nationals Park is available for guests driving to the ballpark, located at the corner of N Street SE and First Street SE, with the vehicle entrance on First Street SE. The parking garage will remain open until 7:30 PM.

Let the parking attendant know you are there for the DC Walk for Justice 5K event. Once parked, take the elevators or stairs down to “PL” (Plaza, at street level). After exiting the garage, turn right to reach N Street. From there, take a left, and Center Field Gates will be on your left along N Street. Event security will be located at the gate to screen guests into the park.

The DC Walk for Justice 5K route will provide a uniquely “DC” experience for all participants, offering views of the iconic Nationals Park stadium and the scenic Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Our updated course for 2026 takes walkers over the Frederick Douglass Bridge into Anacostia, symbolizing a bridging across the access to justice gap for those in the District who need it most.

Many of the clients served by DC Bar Foundation funding reside in Wards 7 and 8, East of the Anacostia River.

Click the map to enlarge.

WHY DOES THE DC BAR FOUNDATION HOST THE DC WALK FOR JUSTICE 5K?

We have three goals for the DC Walk for Justice 5K:

1) to increase community awareness of the significant civil legal aid needs in the District of Columbia;

2) to expand the network of lawyers, judges, and community members committed to supporting legal aid; and

3) to raise significant funds for the Foundation's work.

DO OTHER COMMUNITIES DO SIMILAR WALK FOR JUSTICE EVENTS?

Yes, the DC Walk for Justice is patterned after the London Legal Walk, which raises more than $1 million annually for civil legal aid needs in London. Other communities in the UK and Australia host annual legal walks.

WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM MY PARTICIPATION IN THE DC WALK FOR JUSTICE 5K?

The DC Bar Foundation supports a network of more than 30 legal aid organizations in the District of Columbia, providing grants, training, technical assistance, and coordination. This network has provided legal aid to 130,000 District residents with low incomes in the past four years.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE WALK?

Anyone! The DC Walk for Justice 5K benefits DC's legal aid community, but you do not have to be an attorney or work in the legal field to participate. We encourage all justice-loving individuals to join us for the Walk.

WHEN IS THE WALK?

The Walk is on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.

WHAT IS THE WALK ROUTE?

The Walk will begin at Nationals Park, cross over the Frederick Douglass Bridge, follow the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail to the 11th Street Bridge, cross back over the river, and follow the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail until reaching the finish line at Nationals Park.

IS THE WALK A RACE?

No. This social and educational event allows participants to learn to know each other and become informed about legal aid issues in the District. The course will be a 5K length, but the event will not be timed.

HOW DO I REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WALK?

Walkers can sign up by completing our online registration form. After completing registration, registrants will be prompted to create or join a fundraising team for the DC Walk for Justice 5K if they so desire. Registration for the 2026 DC Walk for Justice 5K is closed.

WILL THERE BE FOOD AFTER THE WALK?

YES! Join us for a finish line party with food, drinks, and music at Centerfield Plaza in Nationals Park Stadium after completing the walk.

MISSION AND VISION

Since 1977, the DC Bar Foundation's mission has been to fund, support, and improve the legal representation of financially disenfranchised or otherwise underserved persons in the District of Columbia.

Our work is grounded in a commitment to racial justice and equity. As the leading funder of civil legal aid in the District, the Foundation is a catalyst for systems change. We foster collaborative, community-informed solutions that break down access to justice barriers for residents experiencing housing, financial, and personal insecurity. Our vision is that all residents of the District have equal access to justice.

PROGRAMS

The DC Bar Foundation makes grants, provides training, offers technical assistance, and fosters collaboration among dozens of legal aid organizations in Washington, DC. This network has provided legal aid to 130,000 District residents with low incomes in the past four years. Over half of our grants target housing insecurity (eviction & foreclosure defense to keep people in their homes). Since 1977, the Foundation has granted more than $177.5 million to legal aid providers in DC. The Foundation also provides loan repayment assistance to qualified attorneys working for legal aid organizations.

IMPACT

By working with all stakeholders, the DC Bar Foundation is changing how District residents discover and experience life-changing legal assistance. Bar Foundations nationwide identify the DC Bar Foundation as the pacesetter in making systemic changes that transform access to legal services.

For example, the Foundation led the effort to launch a Coordinated Intake and Referral (CIR) system, now formally known as the DC Resource Bridge, which is an easy, free way for qualified DC residents to get legal help. Previously, DC residents had to navigate a maze of 50 organizations to find the one that could help them.

HOW DO I REGISTER FOR THE DC WALK FOR JUSTICE 5K?

Registration for the 2026 DC Walk for Justice 5K is closed.

WHY DO I NEED TO REGISTER?

We require participants to register for several reasons. (1) To collect important emergency contact information (2) To keep track of participant numbers for capacity and safety reasons, and (3) To understand where our participants learned about the Walk!

IS THERE A REGISTRATION FEE?

There is no registration fee, but walkers are encouraged to make a donation to the DC Bar Foundation to support civil legal aid in DC. Once you complete the registration form, you will be prompted with a link to our donate page where you can make your gift.

WHAT IS THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE?

October 20. We need a firm number of walkers so we’re sure to have enough food and drink for the finish line party!

WHAT ARE FUNDRAISING TEAMS?

Online fundraising teams give individuals the opportunity to raise funds for the DC Walk for Justice 5K in support of civil legal aid in DC. It is free to join a fundraising team - but, of course, you are encouraged to donate and invite your friends to do so as well. Joining a fundraising team also does not mean you are required to walk.

Sometimes, individuals or workplaces like to gather teams of friends, family, and/or colleagues to walk together at 5K charity events. If you would like to do that for the DC Walk for Justice 5K, it may be easiest to establish and keep track of your walking team roster by creating an online fundraising team and inviting your friends, family, and/or colleagues to join. You can then, if you desire, fundraise together as a team in support of our event using your online fundraising page.

If your team decides to walk together, we encourage you to come to the October 22 event wearing matching shirts! If you wish to design a custom shirt, you can access our event logo HERE.

DOES CREATING OR JOINING A FUNDRAISING TEAM AUTOMATICALLY REGISTER ME FOR THE WALK?

No. Because we need to collect important participant information, including emergency contact information, any individual interested in walking MUST fill out the walker registration form.

However, you do not need to be a walker to fundraise or donate.

I CREATED A FUNDRAISING TEAM FOR LAST YEAR'S WALK. DO I NEED TO CREATE A NEW ONE FOR THIS YEAR?

Yes. Fundraising teams from last year's Walk cannot be reused.

HOW DO I CREATE A TEAM?

To create an online fundraising team, click HERE.
Click the “I Want to Fundraise for This” button and follow the on-screen instructions for Creating a Team in the “Fundraising as a Team?” Box.
As you invite individuals to join your online fundraising team, please be sure that everyone who wants to walk also registers at this link.
Click HERE to view our Team Leader Toolkit!

HOW DO I JOIN AN EXISTING TEAM?

To join an existing fundraising team click HERE.
Click the “I Want to Fundraise for This” button and follow the on-screen instructions for Joining a Team in the “Fundraising as a Team?” Box.
If you haven’t already done so, please make sure to register for the Walk at this link.

CAN I BE ON MORE THAN ONE TEAM?

Participants can join only one fundraising team.

CAN I DONATE WITHOUT WALKING?

Yes, you do not have to be a walker to fundraise or donate. You can create or join a fundraising team by following the above instructions.

JOIN US ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026
FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL DC WALK FOR JUSTICE 5K!

HELP US RAISE $500,000 FOR CIVIL LEGAL AID IN DC

Join fellow justice-loving individuals on Thursday, October 22, 2026, for an afternoon of community, education, and fun! Walkers will follow a route showcasing views of Nationals Park and the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.

And it doesn't stop there! After the Walk, participants will celebrate with a finish line party with food, drinks, and music at Centerfield Plaza inside Nationals Park Stadium.

We partner with the Metropolitan Police Department to ensure the safety of all participants at this event. The 5K course is wheelchair accessible, and shorter course options are available.

The DC Walk for Justice 5K aims to raise $500,000 for the District’s pressing civil legal needs. All proceeds from the DC Walk for Justice 5K benefit the DC Bar Foundation, which works to make civil legal aid more accessible for all District residents through grantmaking, network coordination, community engagement, and more. The DC Bar Foundation is committed to transforming the District’s civil legal aid network so that all residents have a fair and equal legal experience.

The Foundation has three goals for the Walk:

to increase community awareness of the significant civil legal aid needs in the District of Columbia,
to expand the network of lawyers, judges, and community members committed to supporting legal aid, and
to raise at least $500,000 for the Foundation's transformative work.

Whether you sponsor, made a donation, or join a fundraising team, your generosity will have a direct impact on District residents needing civil legal services.

ARE YOU READY TO WALK FOR JUSTICE?

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Registration for the Oct. 22 DC Walk for Justice 5K is now closed.

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THANKS TO OUR 2026 DC WALK FOR JUSTICE 5K SPONSORS!