When most people decide to run a marathon, they are chasing a medal, a finish line, or a personal milestone. But my friend isn’t most people. This year, she laced up her shoes with a mission far bigger than herself, running the Chicago and New York City Marathons to raise money for a nonprofit that is changing lives.
Her journey didn’t stop at her own training. Instead, she created something special: Lela Run Club, a movement that grew from one woman’s marathon dream into a community built on encouragement, purpose, and joy.
It all began with a simple invitation: “Come run with me.”
Before long, weekend jogs turned into group runs, and those runs evolved into a tribe of friends discovering their own strength. People who had never run more than a mile started showing up, lacing up, and pushing themselves, not just on the pavement but in their everyday lives.
She has inspired dozens of friends to run their first 5Ks, 10Ks, and even half-marathons. She made running feel welcoming instead of intimidating. Lela Run Club isn’t just a club; it’s a movement about self-belief, community, and doing something meaningful together.
Now, she brings that same spirit to two of the biggest stages in the running world. She is running 26.2 miles not only for herself, but for the nonprofit she represents, for the people it serves, and for every member of Lela Run Club who found strength because she believed in them first.
