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As a way of giving something back to the area road racing community, Checkers A.C. sponsored the Waterfront 10k in August 1980. Beginning and ending at the Naval and Servicemen's Park, the course went through the marina and LaSalle Park. The club conducted the race for another four years, including 1982 when it was the course for the National 10k TAC Championship. Lack of sponsorship caused the race to be run for the last time in 1983.

However, the fine efforts of the race committees did not go unnoticed and the club was asked to organize the Checkers-Empire/NSI 8k from 1985 until 1990, the Goodbar run in 1988 and since 1990, the Downtown Dash, sponsored by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance. The races allow club members to help with race application distribution, race packets, registration, intersection control, timing, start/finish lines or aid stations. In 1990, the club voted to rename the first place trophies the Brason-Noble Trophy, in honor of the two runners who came to the aid of a runner who was being attacked in Delaware Park. Starting in 1993, the Downtown Dash became a 5k race held on the fourth Friday in September to benefit Kevin Guest House, a hospital hospitality home. In 1994, the Downtown Dash was selected to be a Buffalo News Runner of the Year race. In 1997 the club founded two new races, The Buffalo Mile and the Checkers Tavern 5k.

Since 1981, the club has sponsored the Checkers High School Invitational. This race was the idea of club member Paul Lewis, former coach of Cleveland Hill High School, as a way of focusing attention on the top high school runners in the area. The club ranks area cross country teams and the top male and female runners on a weekly basis in the Buffalo news.

It should be noted that Checkers started the ranking process, in what is now a widely copied format for other sports in the Buffalo News. At the end of the cross country season, the top runners are invited to participate in a 5k cross country race. The top seven finishers are the Checkers High School All-Stars. The top finishers are the male and female Runners of the Year.At the end of the cross country season, the top runners are invited to participate in a 5k cross country race. The top seven finishers are the Checkers High School All-Stars. The top finishers are the male and female Runners of the Year.

This race is unique in that it allows the top public and private school runners to compete head to head, something which is not possible during the school year.