Costumed runners of every age will descend on Carmel High School on October 24 for the 18th annual Ghosts & Goblins run, a 1-mile and 5K event that doubles as one of the biggest fundraisers for Carmel Clay Schools each year. Registration is open now through race day, with organizers encouraging costumes, welcoming strollers, and offering both a timed 1-mile course and a timed 5K course that begin and end at the high school.
The race is put on by the Carmel Education Foundation, the nonprofit that has funneled more than $2.1 million into college scholarships and over $1 million into educational grants for Carmel Clay Schools teachers and students since it was founded in 1966, according to The Hamilton County Reporter. Race-day registration fees flow directly into those grants, scholarships, and district-wide initiatives that the foundation supports across Carmel Clay Schools. Foundation CEO Jennifer Penix said the run “feels like Carmel” and exists to support students and educators, per the outlet's report.
Pricing climbs in stages the closer the calendar gets to race day. Early-bird registration, which runs through September 12, costs $25 for general participants and $15 for Carmel Clay Schools students. From September 13 through October 3, the price rises to $35 for general entrants and $20 for CCS students, then to $40 and $25 respectively from October 4 through October 23. Anyone who waits until race day itself will pay $55 for general registration or $30 for CCS students. Runners can sign up at ghostsandgoblinsrun.com, and this year's field will also receive commemorative 2026 T-shirts and hoodies.
A Dance Marathon Built From Tragedy Joins the Finish Line
Once runners cross the finish line, the morning shifts into an afternoon of trick-or-treating. The Carmel Education Foundation is collaborating with Carmel High School's Dance Marathon to host Trick or Treat for Riley Kids, which kicks off at 11 a.m. at Murray Stadium with trick-or-treating, games, and activities benefiting Riley Children's Hospital.
The student-run Dance Marathon behind that partnership carries its own weighty history. It was established in 2006 to honor Ashley Crouse, a former Carmel High School student body president who died in a 2005 car accident while serving on Indiana University's Dance Marathon executive committee, according to Indiana University Dance Marathon. In the two decades since, the group has grown into what is recognized as the largest high school dance marathon in the nation, surpassing $6 million in lifetime donations for Riley Hospital for Children in December 2023 — a milestone that earned national attention on The Kelly Clarkson Show, as reported by WTHR.
Funding a District of More Than 15,000 Students
The stakes for the Carmel Education Foundation's fundraising go beyond a single race weekend. Carmel Clay Schools enrolls 15,558 students across 15 school sites in Hamilton County as of the current school year, including 11 elementary schools, three middle schools, and Carmel High School, which alone accommodates more than 5,000 students, per the district's own reporting.
Foundation grants already touch nearly every fifth-grader in the district through the Achieve initiative, which sends all Carmel Clay Schools fifth graders to Junior Achievement BizTown for financial literacy and career preparation, according to a Carmel Clay Schools announcement. In May 2025, the foundation awarded 109 scholarships totaling more than $143,000 to Carmel Clay students, including 100 awards to graduating seniors, with Ascension St. Vincent serving as presenting sponsor for that ceremony.
A Milestone Year for the Host Nonprofit
This year's run also arrives as the Carmel Education Foundation marks its 60th anniversary, following an October 2025 rebrand that introduced a new mosaic logo incorporating colors representing all 15 Carmel Clay Schools. Ghosts & Goblins has historically drawn nearly 3,000 Carmel-area participants annually and, alongside Taste of Carmel, serves as one of the foundation's two signature community fundraisers, according to Carmel Magazine's coverage of the race's return to in-person format in 2021.
Penix has led the foundation since taking over as executive director in January 2020, after being selected for the role in late 2019 to succeed retiring co-directors Stephanie McDonald and Barbara Danquist, according to The Hamilton County Reporter. Businesses and community organizations can also support the event through sponsorships and CEF community partnerships, adding another funding stream to a race weekend designed to keep both students and sick kids at Riley Hospital top of mind.
