let a group of white cyclists go past, then blocked her.
Dean had a dog let loose on him during one race. In another, a young white woman screamed because he crossed her path as he headed for the bathroom.
Such “running while Black” experiences are common. But Black runners also routinely find joy, health and camaraderie.
Poe, who started running in her 40s, says running is a relief from the stresses in her life, which include caring for her father while she finishes a doctorate at Georgia State University.
Resources for Black runners
When she started running triathlons, she often was the only Black competitor, but she felt welcomed by other athletes. “It’s not like we’re being rejected when we get in the sport,” she shares. “It’s just that we don’t have the role models, the access or knowledge of how to get in.”
Running clubs such as South Fulton Running Partners, Black Girls Run and others help with that by offering a welcoming starting point for beginners, Poe notes.
It’s also a place to share advice on Black-specific issues such as hair care – a significant concern for many Black women athletes trying to navigate complicated beauty standards. Poe celebrates that she knows runners “with every different hairstyle you can imagine.”
Dean, a deputy sheriff, says Black Men Run, too, welcomes runners of all levels, and more. “We don’t just run,” he shares. “We have cyclists. We have walkers. We do yoga.”
The best part of running for him is the friendships he’s formed. “You might not have known that person, but after one outing, one event, one run, you learn so much.”
Running, he says, lets him talk to someone for a couple of hours while simultaneously doing something to promote Black health. He started running to be a model for others in his family, where heart disease runs rampant.
Dean ran while serving in the Army Reserve, but his first race wasn’t until 2012. Since then, he’s done races in every state – twice over. He wears a kilt, which he says is a celebration of his heritage and also a way to appear disarming in a way that helps people have fun.
Fun is important, he shares. In each race, “there’s only going to be one or two winners. The majority of us won’t win.” But he’s happy at the back of the pack, cheering on slower runners. “I believe in bringing the party to the course.”
When he started, he often was the lone Black runner, or he’d see others but wouldn’t connect with them. Now, he’ll often see five to 10 people he’s befriended. “It’s a wonderful feeling, to see I’m not alone out there.”
Advice for those looking to run
Poe and Dean share a message to people considering the sport: Just try it.
“People think that you have to show up and you just have to run fast right away,” Poe adds. “You don’t.” You can walk. You can go a short distance. The first steps are easy. “Put on your running shoes. Open the door. Walk out the door.”
By American Heart Association News