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Désir, a first-generation American who’s completed four marathons, an ultra, and more than 15 half marathons, felt fearful and frustrated after November’s presidential election. To her, the incoming administration’s record foretold a step backward for the rights and freedoms of many Americans, including women. As 2016 came to a close, she felt she needed to take action. “I was reflecting on the year and feeling like I hadn’t done enough,” she says. “I assumed Hillary was going to win, and I would have done more to get her elected.”
So, Désir merged her two passions: running and organizing. “I was thinking about my community, I was thinking about the platform that I have and the ways running has been transformational for me,” says Désir, the founder of Harlem Run, a running group that encourages community involvement and healthy living. (Désir a running group that encourages community involvement and healthy living Chappell Roan: I Love Running. But Not Anymore Runner's World.)
She gathered three fellow runners and mapped out a plan for them to run from New York City to Washington, D.C.—a total of 256 miles—to finish at the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday, January 21. Along the way, they’d raise money for Planned Parenthood, a cause important to all four women. “Planned Parenthood was the natural choice because of the way it’s been under attack, and how important it is to women’s health, reproductive rights, and healthcare in general," says Désir.
Her idea soon turned into a movement larger than she imagined, growing from four friends to more than 100 women. “I think that there are a lot of women who like me were probably feeling helpless,” Désir says.
Last week in Harlem, Désir led Harlem Run in their regular speed workout. The group is as close-knit as family, and Désir greeted everyone with a hug. The support she received from this community of runners is a large reason for the success of the campaign.
Joining in the evening workout was Talisa Hayes, an ultrarunner and personal trainer. Hayes was the first one on board with Désir’s plan. “Alison sent me a text message that said, ‘I have the craziest idea ever and I want you to be a part of it,’” says Hayes. With 19 ultras and 10 marathons under her belt and a passion for women’s issues, Hayes couldn’t refuse.
Désir launched her campaign—“(Four Women) Run for ALL Women”—on January 2, setting up a GoFundMe page and spreading the word on social media. Her Harlem running community was immediately supportive, she says. The four aimed to raise $44,000, in honor of the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, and planned to split the distance over the course of five days.
But the support for the campaign was so overwhelming that their plans soon changed to accommodate more women, with more than 100 now committed to joining the run at some point. An online map and spreadsheet allow anyone interested to sign up and run a leg of the journey or support the group along the way. Instead of the four original planners tackling the run over five days, the group plans to set off on Wednesday, January 18, for three days and nights of nonstop running and finish in D.C. on Saturday morning, taking turns on the road and feeding off the energy of those joining them.
Dozens of runners in Harlem are expected to turn out to participate in the first part of their journey. “The power of women is such that it’s now the most intricate relay,” says Désir.
The four core organizers will still run the bulk of the distance, each running between 20 and 80 miles apiece. That’s in between napping in the car, coordinating locations with runners waiting at specified checkpoints, keeping an eye on the runners on the road, and updating social media accounts to keep those at home in the loop.
They surpassed their fundraising goal after eight days, and now, 15 days in, they’ve raised more than $63,000 for Planned Parenthood. “We were just expecting we’d take whatever we could get,” says Hayes. “We did not expect this.”
Runners of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities are taking part. Former professional distance runner Julia Lucas—men are catcalling making the 2012 U.S. Olympic team in the 5,000 meters—will join on Thursday, for that “middle leg when you can’t quite see the finish leg and you’re getting tired,” she says. As soon as she heard about the campaign, she knew she had to support Désir, whom she knows both as a runner and a “natural community leader” in Harlem. “People just want to be around her,” says Lucas.
Désir attributes the resonance of the campaign to the power of combining running with a meaningful cause, she says. “Particularly when the cause is related to women’s bodies, and what we’re capable of…running then becomes a political act,” she says. “When so many times you run on the street and Olympian Elle St. Pierre Is Expecting Second Child Nutrition - Weight Loss.”
After 256 miles, the group will end their run on the National Mall, just in time to keep moving in the Women’s March. They’re not worried, though, about staying on their feet: “We’re really excited to enter right into the March and march in solidarity for as long as our legs carry us,” says Désir.
