Running is For Everyone!

What is the Running is For Everyone program?

The Running is for Everyone program is a community partnership to expand access to running. This includes expanding access to the benefits of running with the knowledge and support of a running coach. 

What do you mean by expanding access? 

For many people in our community, the commitment of buying a pair of running shoes and hiring a running coach may require some financial sacrifice. By sacrifice, I mean it may prompt them to cut back on spending in another area of their life such as going out to dinner or buying non-essential clothing but it does not have a long-term negative financial impact. 

For other members of our community, however, the cost of running shoes alone may go beyond a financial sacrifice and create true financial hardship. For these individuals, it may fundamentally challenge their ability to put food on the table, pay for housing, or afford transportation to get to and from work. Too often, financial hardship limits access; If you don’t have money, you can’t participate. The Running is For Everyone program is designed to prevent this from occurring by deliberately reducing barriers.  

Can’t you just reduce costs for people experiencing financial hardship? What does this have to do with the community?

Yes, I can and do reduce the cost of service for individuals experiencing financial hardship but that ignores the facts that there are essential business costs that must be covered and even a reduced cost may be out of reach for people experiencing financial hardship. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, that model is limited to an interaction between two people, the service provider and the customer. By engaging the community in this conversation, we call attention to and raise awareness of current and historical systems in place that create and maintain inequity. These inequities require engagement at the community level. Every dollar from the community that goes into this program sends a message of belonging.  The running community is stronger when everyone is able to participate.

What does it mean to participate in the Running is For Everyone program?

Participation can look one of two ways:

• If you are in a position where you have “enough” in your life and don’t have to routinely worry about being able to afford the basics like food, housing, and essential transportation, please consider paying it forward with a one-time or recurring contribution to allow someone who isn’t in the same financial position to launch or take the next steps on their Journey to Run. You have the option to make a contribution to Running is for Everyone in the online checkout process when you buy any coaching service. You also have the option of making a contribution via the button below. You do not need to be a coaching client to support this program. Please note that contributions to Running is for Everyone is a pay it forward type program and is therefore not tax-deductible. 

• If you are someone who has the desire to begin or continue your Journey to Run but would experience true financial hardship by doing so, please reach out via the button below to see if Running is for Everyone resources are available to make run coaching services possible. Please note, the ability to meet the needs of those experiencing financial hardship is based on current levels of funding of the Running is For Everyone program and may be limited. 

Free consultations are limited to one per person and to prospective coaching clients only. Athletes who have a current coaching plan in place or have received coaching services from Journey to Run in the past 6 months are not eligible.