Ben's Memorial Mile & Community Festival
Sat, Aug 8, 2026, 2:00 PM CDT
- Type
- Run
Sign up and verify details on the organizer's official page.
Race feel
Run or walk a mile in memory of Ben Silver, supporting mental health awareness and enjoying a community festival.
- Fun
- Competitive
- Festive
- For a Cause
Fun
Competitive
Festive
For a CauseGreat for
- Walkers Welcome
Walkers WelcomeBen's Memorial Mile honors the vibrant spirit and athletic legacy of Benjamin Lee Silver, while championing mental health awareness and suicide prevention. This nonprofit event brings the community together to celebrate Ben's passion for running, regardless of speed. Participants can choose between an open mile or an elite mile, all while supporting a vital cause. It's a day to connect, remember, and contribute to a future where mental illness is better understood and supported.
From the organizer
Ben's Memorial Mile & Community Festival is an annual event hosted in downtown Downers Grove to raise money/awareness for mental health and to honor the life of Ben Silver.
The event consists of a little kids' 100-meter dash followed by two chip-timed, one-mile road races for runners and walkers. Prices will increase to $25 for the open and elite miles after July 8th. The little kids' 100-meter dash is free.
We will again have T-shirts, but you must select if you would like one during your registration process (they are $10 each). You must register by July 22 to get a T-shirt.
The community festival consists of live music, concessions, raffles, mental-health booths, fitness booths, art booths, kids activities, a food truck (snow cones & shaved ice), and corn hole. The community festival is FREE to attend. Ben's Memorial Mile is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and all proceeds are donated to mental-health foundations.
After-Party
Chip Timed
Food & Drink