This episode tells the story of someone who battled depression and was drawn through running from a friend’s inspiring marathon training. Just a few years later, she made international headlines with a run from Harlem to Washington, D.C. and raised more than $100,000 for Planned Parenthood.

Alison Desir is a mental health counselor and also the founder of Harlem Run and Run4AllWomen. Harlem Run was founded in 2013 and welcomes a strong, positive and diverse group of runners of all sizes, ages and abilities for group runs on Mondays and Thursdays. Run4AllWomen was born in response to the 2016 election and uses running as a vehicle for social change. The mission is to empower women to be the change they seek.

Alison’s story tells us how she was able to mix running and activism to make an impact – not just in New York City but around the world.

Catch the first six episodes of the show now and be sure to subscribe on iTunes. For listeners who prefer a listening experience on Google Play, we’re also now available there!

You can follow Alison on Instagram here. Follow Harlem Run here. More information on Run4AllWomen is also available.

Follow the show on Instagram: @RunnersOfNYC. Don’t forget Twitter as well: @RunnersOfNYC | Email any comments, feedback or possible sponsorship ideas to runnersofnyc@gmail.com

Music for the show is by Future Generations. Podcast artwork by Kyle Klosinski.