11 Black-led Organizations and Influencers to Follow

The running industry has long been criticized for its lack of diversity. White runners have historically been featured much more prominently in advertisements and on social media than Black athletes. According to a 2016 Wall Street Journal article, only 8% of frequent runners identify as Black. Many Black runners have been vocalizing their fears and frustrations about the discrimination they face, which was amplified after Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed while running in 2020.

Black activists and athletes are working to shift the narrative about what it means to be a runner. From dedicated running clubs to powerful pro athletes, these eleven Black-led organizations and influencers each have their own unique message. Follow along on Instagram while they run, create and inspire.

Alison Désir

Alison Désir is a marathoner, an author and an activist. She’s made a name for herself in the running industry as she advocates for more representation in the sport for LGTBQ athletes and Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities.

Désir founded Run 4 All Women in 2017, an organization that uses running as a way to spark change. Run 4 All Women raised over $100,000 for women's reproductive rights during their very first event, according to their website. Désir also serves as a Captain of Harlem Run, a social running group in Harlem, New York City.

In addition to her advocacy work, Désir is also a published author. She wrote the foreword for Running Is My Therapy by New York Times Bestselling author Scott Douglas. In 2020, Désir became chair of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition (RIDC). According to their website, the RIDC strives to “create a more equitable and inclusive running industry where race, religion, gender identity, sexuality, immigration status, socioeconomic status, and ability do not serve as barriers for full enjoyment.”

“Black Girls RUN! continues to be a powerhouse and movement in the health and fitness community. We’ve gone from a grassroots organization to a staple in the running community. People know us, recognize us and look for us at events,” she says.

“My goals for Black Girls RUN! are to continue to grow in cities across the country and internationally. I want women across the country to think of us first when they are starting or on their fitness journey and need a community to grow with them,” Alexander explains. “I want us to continue to be able to provide resources to women wherever they are in their journey.”

Black Men Run

Black Men Run was created to encourage Black men to embrace a healthy lifestyle by walking and jogging. According to their Instagram page, they’re the largest African American male running group. They have chapters all across the country, from Florida to California.

Lawrence Harrington, Captain of BMR Philadelphia, joined the group in 2019. “The core values of the organization - brotherhood, unity and health - are values that are near and dear to my heart. Prior to joining, I hated group runs because they would challenge me to push further than I wanted to push myself. Now, I cannot imagine running without my BMR brothers every Wednesday and Saturday,” he explains.

Not only does Black Men Run host group runs, they partner with other organizations to serve and support their local communities. Last October, the Philadelphia chapter hosted several group runs in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. They also spread their message to children living in neighborhoods heavily affected by gun violence.

“BMR has definitely allowed me and my co-captain, George Morse, to use this platform to amplify our voices when it comes to addressing issues like domestic violence awareness and gun violence prevention in our community,” Harrington explains.

Civil Rights Race Series

The Civil Rights Race Series, created by the Walk Jog Run Club, held their first event in 2018. What originally started as a relay race to commemorate the Selma march in Alabama quickly turned into a series of races highlighting the entire history of the Civil Rights Movement. The first race, which followed the route of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march, was so successful that organizers knew they had to put on another event.

“We thought that because the route was so austere, people wouldn’t want to come back. But it was the opposite. Athletes kept saying they wanted to come back next year and bring their families,” explains Vergil Chames, one of the event organizers.

The Civil Rights Race Series has expanded to feature events all over the country recognizing significant events from the Civil Rights Movement. Every event in the Civil Rights Race Series has three objectives - to promote health and fitness, to inject capital into communities in need, and to tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement. In 2020, the group hosted One Million Miles for Justice, a virtual race benefiting the Children’s Defense Fund.The race brought in 8,000 participants from 16 different countries and raised $250,000.

“If we don’t tell the story of what’s happening, no one will. There is a need for us to recognize and commemorate these events because none of us were alive during this time,” Chames says. “There has to be a collective of like minded individuals of all skin tones that speak to these issues.”

“At the end of every program, I ask all of my guests to define who they are to themselves without attaching it to the work that they do or the roles that they're attached to in their daily lives. When I realized how difficult that was to answer that question on my own, I felt like it was time to create this podcast,” Snell says.

National Black Marathoners' Association

The National Black Marathoners’ Association is the country’s oldest and largest organization of Black runners. Founded in 2004 by several experienced distance runners, the organization awards college scholarships to Black student athletes. The NBMA also created the National Black Distance Running Hall of Fame to recognize Black runners for their athletic accomplishments and contributions to the sport.

Tony Reed, co-founder and executive director of the NBMA, explains how he became inspired to start the organization. “I was running a marathon in my hometown of St. Louis, and we ran through some pretty rough parts of town. We ran past a group of Black kids, and they all started running alongside me. It dawned on me that, being one of the only Black runners in the race, I was actually a role model for them,” he says.

“I wanted to raise money to send Black children to college, encourage African Americans to pursue a healthy lifestyle through walking and running, and recognize the accomplishments of African American distance runners,” Reed explains.

Reed is currently one of three Black runners who have completed what he calls the “marathon hat trick” - running a marathon in all 50 states, running a marathon in all 7 continents, and running at least 100 marathons. The other two Black runners who have accomplished this feat, Shalisa Davis and Michele Smith-Harden, are also members of the NBMA.

Over the past few years, RUNGRL has made an impact in the running community. As the running landscape has evolved, so has the organization. “It’s become important that we not only share and talk about running, but all the many ways Black women can and deserve to be well. This includes addressing barriers to fitness that we experience, such as hair, safety, and size representation,” Green says. The group even created #MyRunningHair, a hub for tips and resources about hair maintenance for Black runners.