Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 20, 2026) - Gold Runner Exploration Inc. (CSE: GRUN) (FSE: CE70) ("Gold Runner" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed all arrangements and agreements for commencement of its fully funded 2026 surface exploration program at the Golden Girl property, British Columbia ("Golden Girl" or "Golden Girl Property"). Mobilization is confirmed for July 12, 2026 with boots on the ground exploration activities commencing in earnest on July 13, 2026.

Golden Girl covers an area of 8,471 hectares (ha) in the Iskut River region of Northwestern British Columbia, just 17 kilometers (km) from the Snip Mine and 14 km from the Bronson Airstrip. Discovery exploration conducted in 2024 identified a large new gold-silver system measuring 12 km by 7 km. Highlights include grab samples assaying up to 11.28 g/t Au, 3,262 g/t Ag, 5.37% Cu, 20% Pb, and 14.15% Zn, and channel cuts assaying up to 3.74 g/t Au, 2105.45 g/t Ag, 0.88% Cu, 5.48% Pb, and 7.42% Zn.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7042/298111_9cb1aa7414cf3b8c_002full.jpg

High-grade mineralization at Golden Girl occurs in structurally controlled shear zones within sulphide-rich veins, stockwork, and breccias, similar to the nearby Snip Gold Mine. Hydrothermal fluids took advantage of pre-existing structures to deposit gold-silver-rich mineralization as well as sulphides such as chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite associated with quartz-carbonate-rich veins. Pervasive alteration associated with fluid infiltration is often observed surrounding the zones of strong gold-silver.

The nearby, past-producing Snip Gold Mine, historically produced approximately 1 million ounces of gold, 390,000 ounces of silver, and 249,276 kilograms of copper (at an average 27.5 grams per ton gold over 8 years). The Eskay Creek Mine, which lies approximately 60 km east of Golden Girl, produced approximately 3.3 million ounces of gold and 160,000 ounces of silver between 1994 and 2008. The Eskay Creek Mine has recently been permitted to re-commence mining operations - see Skeena Resources Ltd. news releases dated January 28, 2026 and February 3, 2026. The reader is reminded that the information provided herein from neighbouring projects and properties is not necessarily indicative of resources and should not be relied upon for the determination of mineralization or potential results of the Company's properties.

The Golden Girl Property remains largely underexplored, with more than 95% of the property never having undergone systematic modern exploration. Over the past several decades, rapid glacial retreat and continued reduction in seasonal snowpack have exposed extensive areas of previously buried bedrock. These newly emergent outcrops represent a meaningful shift in exploration exposure across the property, opening large tracts of ground for the first time to modern geological mapping, sampling, and geophysical evaluation.

Gold Runner has completed planning and scheduling of prospecting, sampling and mapping, and detailed geophysical surveys over the Golden Girl Property for the 2026 exploration season in preparation for the inaugural drill program anticipated for summer 2027.

This summer's exploration program consists of helicopter supported field work which includes mapping, sampling, extensive channel cutting, airborne magnetic survey, and Light Detection and Ranging ("LiDAR") survey over the entire Golden Girl Property. Operations will be staged from the road accessible Forrest Kerr Camp, located 39 km east of Golden Girl. The field program, to be performed by up to 12 team members, is scheduled to run from July 12, 2026 until August 31, 2026.

Gold Runner has engaged Higher Ground Exploration ("Higher Ground") to lead its 2026 exploration program. Higher Ground is owned and operated by exploration geologist Nicolai Goeppel, who has partnered with Ryan Purnell to oversee field operations and manage two dedicated field teams throughout the season. Both Mr. Goeppel and Mr. Purnell each bring more than a decade of experience working in the Golden Triangle region of northwestern British Columbia and have contributed to multiple exploration discoveries, including Goliath Resources (TSXV: GOT) Golddigger discovery and Juggernaut Exploration's (TSXV: JUGR) Big One discovery.

Both Goliath Resources and Juggernaut Exploration are partners within the B-ALL Syndicate ("B-ALL"), the optionor of Golden Girl, holding respectively, 4% and 13% interest in B-ALL, and as such are important strategic partners of the Company. The B-ALL team is the same extremely talented and proven team that discovered and generated the Golden Girl prospect. Golden Girl is located approximately mid-way between Goliath's Surebet Discovery and Juggernaut's Big One discovery within the world renowned, Golden Triangle of British Columbia.

Further geophysical exploration includes radiometrics and a 100-meter line-spaced, airborne magnetic survey over Golden Girl, to be conducted by Precision GeoSurveys Inc.

Gold Runner has also engaged Dr. Venessa Bennett of Drone North to conduct and process photogrammetry and a LiDAR survey over the property.

Venessa Bennett is a professional geologist and principal of Geomantia Consulting, with extensive experience in mineral exploration, geospatial data integration, and remote sensing applications across northern Canada. Her work focuses on advancing exploration programs through the integration of geological mapping, geophysical data, and UAV-based survey technologies, with particular expertise in structurally complex and remote terrains.

Dr. Bennett brings a multidisciplinary approach to project development, combining field-based geological analysis with advanced data processing techniques, including photogrammetry, LiDAR, and geophysical interpretation. Through Geomantia Consulting, she supports all stages of exploration, from early-stage targeting through to detailed project evaluation, with an emphasis on delivering high-quality, data-driven insights.

Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Chris Wensley states, "We are extremely pleased and grateful to have assembled such a first rate group of experts for this launch of our Golden Girl exploration campaign. It is quite evident at every step in this process how each member of the team is dedicated to excellence and professionalism and how enthusiastic they are about Golden Girl and the promise it holds. They are all true leaders in their fields of expertise. This bodes extremely well as we set out to build on the remarkable 2024 discovery results, significantly adding to and expanding known areas of mineralization, as we prepare for an aggressive drill program in 2027."

About Drone North
Drone North is a leading provider of advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) mapping and geospatial analysis services based on the west coast of Canada. The company specializes in developing customized UAV acquisition programs and data processing workflows designed to support the efficient advancement of mineral exploration and mining projects across Canada.

The company provides a suite of cutting-edge sensor technologies including high-resolution, survey-grade photogrammetry, LiDAR, multispectral, magnetic, and thermal imagery. These data products are complemented by in-house processing and exploration focussed analysis, enabling mining companies to conduct more successful exploration targeting, environmental monitoring, and project development.

Qualified Person
This News Release has been approved by Alan Morris, M.Sc., CPG #10550. Alan J. Morris is an independent, Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has reviewed the scientific and technical disclosure included in this news release.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Chris Wensley"

Chris Wensley, Director & Chief Executive Officer

About Gold Runner Exploration Inc.
Gold Runner Exploration is an exploration company focused on the exploration and development of its portfolio of gold and silver properties located in prolific mining districts of Canada and the United States of America. In British Columbia, Gold Runner holds the option to acquire a 100% interest in the Golden Girl Property, located in the prolific Golden Triangle of Northwestern British Columbia. In North Central Nevada, the Company holds the Rock Creek gold project, the Falcon Mine project and the Dry Creek project, located in the Tuscarora Mountains in close proximity to the world-renowned Carlin Trend. Gold Runner also holds a 10% carried interest in the Cimarron project located in the San Antonio Mountains of Nye County, Nevada, within the Walker Lane Trend.

About B-ALL Syndicate Ltd.
The B-ALL Syndicate is a highly specialized geologic team of project generators with a proven track record of success. The Syndicate is focused in unexplored areas of glacial and snowpack retreat providing new opportunity for material discovery in renowned geologic terrain. Projects generated by the same team include Goliath Resources' Surebet discovery on the Golddigger Property, Juggernaut Exploration's Big One discovery as well as multiple additional material discoveries. More information is available at https://www.ball-syndicate.com/.

Follow us on LinkedIn: Click Here
Follow us on Facebook: Click Here
Follow us on X / Twitter: Click Here

Forward-Looking Information
This news release includes certain information that may be deemed "forward-looking information" under applicable securities laws. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, including but not limited to those that address the the properties exploration work and its results and potential, interpretations prospecting and exploration activities, geological, geophysical, and geochemical surveys, studies and interpretations of historical exploration and geological information, permitting, licences, environmental laws and regulations, changes in government regulations and laws, obtaining social licence to explore and operate, community engagements, timing of exploration activities, economic, competitive, reliance on third parties, the actual results of operations, and other risks of the natural resources industry, and mineral resource and reserve potential, exploration activities and events or developments that the Company expects is forward-looking information. There are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking information and these include ng, the results of the Company's due diligence investigations, market prices, exploration successes, continued availability of capital financing, and general economic, market or business conditions, and those additionally described in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities authorities. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the statements.

Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For more information on the Company, investors are encouraged to review the Company's public filings at www.sedarplus.ca. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward- looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAS REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/298111