Denver hosts loads of running races—it seems there's one for every sunny day of the year—though few of them include a kids’ component. But on Saturday, August 18, the Lärabar Up & Running Half Marathon will also stage an all-ages 5K and a kids 1K. Those shorter races will begin and end at City of Cuernavaca Park. All proceeds will benefit Denver Urban Gardens, a nonprofit dedicated to helping Denverites grow their own edibles.

Yes, Lärabar’s products are more “whole food” than most, since they’re made with pronounceable ingredients like almonds, dates, and cherries. But you can’t grow a Lärabar in your backyard: It’s still a processed convenience food. But most snack companies put their energy into getting people to buy more packaged snacks—not grow their own mesclun, which makes the race all the more important.

Get Involved: Denver Urban Gardens operates more than 100 community gardens throughout the city, including 30 school-based gardens tended by students and teachers. The Up & Running event will fund the completion of four more plots: two at elementary schools, one at a middle school, and one at a high school. Kudos to Lärabar (we recently caught up with the founder of the company) for promoting healthy habits in Denver. I dig the company’s all-natural energy bars, and I think they’d pair well with a side salad.

Sign up for the race here.