Richmond Road Runners Club

2024 Scholarship Application Deadline

May 31, 2024

Contact scholarship@rrrc.org with any questions

Application Form & Instructions

Click the button below to download the application PDF.

Scholarship Program Details

The Richmond Road Runners Club (RRRC) has a scholarship program for Richmond-area high school seniors involved in running or running-related activities. RRRC is a non-profit organization that promotes running for positive physical and mental health benefits. In 2024, RRRC will award up to three (3) $3,000 scholarships to students who have contributed to the running community and represent the benefits of running as a healthy lifestyle.

Each RRRC scholarship will be a one-year, non-renewable award of $3,000. To be eligible, a student must be:
1.     A graduating high school senior who resides or attends school in the Richmond area;
2.     Accepted at an accredited institution of higher education; and
3.     Involved in running in some capacity (e.g., as a cross-country or track team member, e.g., manager or trainer, running or track club member, or volunteer in a running activity).

To apply for a Richmond Road Runners Club scholarship award, ALL of the following must be submitted:
1.    A completed RRRC Scholarship Application Form (all questions answered)
2. A 500-word essay focused on answering the three questions listed in the application instructions. The emphasis should be on the student’s overall contribution to the sport of running rather than on individual achievement. Please do not include your name on any part of the essay, and the essay should not exceed 500 words.
3. A copy of the student’s acceptance letter from a college or university.
4. One letter of reference from someone involved in either high school or Richmond area running specifically addresses the student’s contributions to the running community. The letter should be emailed directly from the person writing the reference letter to scholarship@rrrc.org.

All documents must be submitted as PDFs to scholarship@rrrc.org. Complete applications must be received by midnight on May 31, 2024. All submitted documentation will become the property of the RRRC and may be used or destroyed at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee. Award selections will be made by the RRRC Scholarship Committee which is solely responsible for the award decisions. Each scholarship recipient will be notified directly before June 30, 2024. Scholarship recipients will be announced and recognized at the RRRC Pony Pasture 5K. The award will be paid directly to the student’s college or university business office.

Please provide this information to any students you believe qualify for the scholarship and who exemplify the aims of the Richmond Road Runners Club. Feel free to make copies of this information for dissemination. Please contact the RRRC Scholarship Committee at scholarship@rrrc.org for additional information.

Kirk Millikan, RRRC Scholarship Committee Chair

Previous Winners

RRRC College Scholarship 2024

The 2024 RRRC college scholarship recipients were announced at the Pony Pasture 5k on July 27th. The recipients were selected for their leadership and significant involvement in various running communities.

Sarah Bland graduated from Atlee High School and will attend Christopher Newport University in the fall, where she will compete on the cross country and track teams. As a junior and senior at Atlee, Sarah was a captain for her cross country and track teams, organizing conditioning sessions and promoting a welcoming team environment. During high school, she studied the importance of iron for athletes and created a website and video to raise awareness of impacts from low iron and share the beneficial research with other runners. Sarah has also volunteered at a Big Feet Meet, a sporting event for young students with intellectual disabilities, to promote inclusivity and fun regardless of ability.

Soren Doucette graduated from Deep Run High School and will attend James Madison University in the fall. Soren ran year-around at Deep Run, participating in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track each year of high school. He helped underclassmen learn the ropes of his running teams and led by example, consistently demonstrating integrity, hard work, and a passion to be better than he was yesterday. Soren also volunteered at several running events throughout high school, including the Deep Run parkrun and Richmond Road Runners Club races and track meets. Soren plans to continue to support running to share valuable principles of hard work, community building, and a healthy lifestyle.

Berkley Nance graduated from Mills Godwin High School and will attend Brigham Young University in the fall, where he will compete on the cross country and track teams. Berkley was a team captain at Mills Godwin and fostered a supportive community among teammates. During high school, Berkley helped organize a run-a-thon fundraiser where participants ran one mile every hour for 24 hours. Over the years, this event collected over 200 pairs of running shoes for Soles4Souls and raised over $11,000 for a memorial scholarship. Despite an injury at the end of his senior year, Berkley still attended daily track practices to encourage teammates and help his coach time workouts.

RRRC College Scholarship 2023

The 2023 RRRC college scholarship recipients were announced at the Pony Pasture 5k on July 29th. The recipients were selected for their leadership and significant involvement in various running communities.

Lily Grace Hester graduated from James River High School and will attend Virginia Tech in the fall, where she will compete on the cross country and track and field teams. Throughout high school, Lily Grace volunteered with organizations that promote movement and healthy lifestyles. Many of those volunteer efforts focused on coaching younger runners through the Healthy Kids Running Series, Girls on the Run, and the Richmond Road Runners Club youth running camp. Lily Grace also co-organized a 5k race, alongside fellow scholarship winner Zachary, that raised funds for the running camp.

Lloyd Jewell graduated from Hanover High School and will attend Randolph-Macon College in the fall, where he hopes to start the school's first running club. Although Lloyd's running journey began in sprinting, he found a love for longer distances throughout high school. He was a team captain for the cross country and track teams his senior year, building a community of student athletes who felt supported and valued regardless of speed. Lloyd has also volunteered with the Special Olympics track and field team, encouraging athletes along their running journeys.

Zachary Stevens graduated from James River High School and will attend the University of Richmond in the fall, where he will compete on the school's cross country team. Zachary was a team captain for the cross country and track teams his senior year, and he designed workouts for the distance runners, not only impressing his coaches but also helping his teammates achieve new personal bests. Zachary has volunteered at the Virginia Middle School State Cross Country Championships and the Richmond Road Runners Club youth running camp, and he co-organized a 5k race, alongside fellow scholarship winner Lily Grace, that raised funds for the running camp.

RRRC College Scholarship 2022

At the Pony Pasture 5k on July 23rd, the Richmond Road Runners Club announced the three recipients of the club’s $2,000 college scholarships. The recipients were selected for their leadership, perseverance, and contributions to their running communities.

Oliver Buckner graduated from James River High School in Chesterfield County and will attend the University of Virginia in the fall. Although he grew up a soccer player, Oliver found a love for running in high school. This love for running led to his senior capstone project, organizing a Color Run 5k that raised over $7,000 for the American Cancer Society and highlighted community stories of cancer survivors.

Gabriella Garcia graduated from Midlothian High School in Chesterfield County and will attend James Madison University in the fall. Gabriella was a cross country and track team captain her senior year, creating a safe, welcoming, and supportive space for student-athletes at her school. She has volunteered at races throughout the Richmond area and will compete on the cross-country and track teams at JMU.

Nicole Quiram graduated from Midlothian High School in Chesterfield County and will attend Virginia Tech in the fall. Nicole was a cross country and track team captain her senior year and was known for baking homemade cookies for her team. Over the last two years, she coached younger runners in a cross country program at her local YMCA, and she hopes to coach high school cross country and track teams in the future.

RRRC College Scholarship 2021

This year, we had a very competitive field of 25 applicants for the 2021 Richmond Road Runners Club college scholarship. The three winners set themselves apart through their leadership, dedication to running, and volunteering in the running community.

RRRC College Scholarship 2020

In 2020, RRRC is awarded three (3) $2,000 scholarships to Richmond-area high school seniors who have and will contribute to the running community and represent the beneficial aspects of running as a healthy lifestyle.

Ellen Herrera (left)
Wade Carter (center)
Avery Hairfield (right)

Ellen Herrera graduated from St. Catherine's School in Richmond and will be attending the University of Virginia in the fall. Ellen was a captain of the cross country and track teams her senior year, fostering a positive team culture and encouraging her teammates to reach their full potential. She has volunteered at Richmond Marathon water stops and hopes to join a marathon training program in college to accomplish her next goal, running a marathon.
Wade Carter graduated from Glen Allen High School in Henrico County and will be attending the University of Virginia in the fall. Wade was a captain of the cross country and track teams his senior year and actively recruited and mentored younger team members. Throughout high school, he volunteered with Healthy Kids Running Series and plans to join the club running team at UVA.
Avery Hairfield graduated from Cosby High School in Chesterfield County and will be attending Queens University of Charlotte in the fall. Avery was a captain of the cross country and track teams during her junior and senior years, planning pasta parties and inspiring her teammates. She has volunteered at races and events at Pocahontas State Park and plans to study exercise and sports sciences at Queens.

RRRC College Scholarship 2019

Congratulations to the recipients of the RRRC College Scholarships for 2019. Virginia Kauders (Collegiate School), Mohini Johri (Collegiate School), and Dylan Moore (Cosby High School) were each awarded $2,000 scholarships.

RRRC College Scholarship 2018

At today's Pony Pasture 5K, presented by Edward Jones, the Richmond Road Runners Club announced the recipients of RRRC College Scholarships for 2018: Noah Campbell, Jack Ikenberry, and Ryan McCracken. Noah graduated from Patrick Henry High School and will be attending the University of Richmond; Jack graduated from Lee Davis High School and will be attending George Mason University; and Ryan graduated from Douglas Freeman High School and will be attending the College of William & Mary. We had a very competitive pool of applicants this year, but after reviewing the applications, the Richmond Road Runners Club scholarship committee saw that these three recipients had set themselves apart from the rest. Each was a very dedicated runner in high school, held leadership positions on their high school teams, actively encouraged their teammates to reach their highest potential, received rave reviews from their coaches, and plan to continue running and supporting a healthy lifestyle in college.

Noah Campbell, Mary Claire & Steve Ikenberry (parents of Jack who could not be present), and Ryan McCracken. Photo credit: Ed Kelleher

RRRC College Scholarship 2017

RRRC awarded $2,000 scholarships to two (2) students: Jake Scott Dehetre, a cross-country and indoor/outdoor track runner for Atlee High School, and Laurel Goodpasture, a cross-country and indoor/outdoor track runner for Trinity Episcopal School.