2023 is the first year that local Fleet Feet stores across the country are teaming up with ASICS to host their very own Blue Jean Mile events. Events vary by location, so be sure to check with your local store about whether or not they’re hosting an event and how you can participate.
For Fleet Feet Chicago, hosting a Blue Jean Mile run is a fun and unique way to emphasize the importance of mental health.
“The Blue Jean Mile shows you're not alone,” says Molly McQueeny, Digital Marketing Manager at Fleet Feet Chicago. “Confiding in others helps take the burden off of yourself, and allows others to support you and lift you up, however uncomfortable that may be. I've had my fair share of ups and downs in life and, when I try to face it alone, I only set myself back. I've had to rely on loved ones as well as professionals in the mental health space to help me work on things like anxiety and depression.”
On May 18, participants will meet at the Fleet Feet Chicago Old Town store and try out a pair of the new ASICS GEL-Cumulus 25 for the one mile run along the Lakefront path. The event is free, and participants who donate five dollars to NAMI will receive an ASICS T-shirt.
At Fleet Feet Lakeland, the Blue Jean Mile is a reminder of the healing power that running has.
“When running found me in high school, it quickly became my outlet,” says Jon P., an outfitter at Fleet Feet Lakeland. “It helped settle my anxiety and got me through each day. I really appreciate the initiative to bring awareness to mental health and raise money for those who are struggling to get the care they need. I was raised by two parents who suffered from depression, and have recently been having my own trials with mental health.”
Fleet Feet Lakeland’s Blue Jean Mile will be held on May 9, in conjunction with their weekly pub run at Swan Brewing. The event is free, and participants are encouraged to register here.
No matter where you decide to run your Blue Jean Mile, let it be a celebration of running and all that it teaches us along the way.
“Running in a pair of blue jeans is not comfortable, but working through the discomfort can end in a beautiful thing,” says McQueeny.