I started running in my sophomore year of college and completed my first half-marathon in 2021 without formal training. Most of my runs were done alone, and when I first began running, I often felt like an outcast. It took a long time before I saw another runner who looked like me. Research shows that only about 1.6% of marathon runners in America are African American, compared to 90% Caucasian and 5.1% Hispanic. My generation needs visibility and often changes require people willing to put boots on the ground in spaces. I am also a person who stutters, which means I experience long speech blocks and prolongations, which can be draining. Because of this, I relied heavily on basketball as my outlet at a young age. Once I got to college and began focusing more on speech communication and being more open about my stutter towards others, I needed something that would challenge me and would be beneficial for my mental health. That’s when I found running through my love and appreciation for the outdoors, especially on the University of Oklahoma’s beautiful campus. Living in Norman as a full-time student gave me easy access to smooth pavements and consistent routes to track my miles.
Oklahoma, Oklahoma City – Memorial Half Marathon 2021
During my time in college, I became involved with the National Stuttering Association and served as a chapter leader in my junior year, which kept me constantly on campus from morning to night. I began to ask myself, “What is the purpose of why I am running?” Stuttering is something that people need to be more aware of—and what better way to create awareness than by running races surrounded by thousands of people? I was inspired by well-known Black runners like Tommie Runz and organizations such as WERUN313 out in Detroit, seeing the impact and energy they bring to the long-distance running community. I did not grow up running across country or competing in track and field. I come from a basketball background, and for much of my life, running was viewed as a punishment in sports. I got the courage to do my first full marathon in 2022. It was one of my proudest moments because I knew I was built for this. I just needed a solid group of runners around me who were consistent in training. I took some time off training for full marathon races due to my studies being more demanding.
I dedicate my races to people who stutter because when I look at them, I see myself. I want them to feel encouraged and seen. As I became more serious about running and grew into a true fan of long-distance racing, I met more people who loved running just like I did. Over time, I developed meaningful connections. Each time I met people in the running community, it felt like I was carrying the torch—representing something bigger than just myself. Fast forward to moving back to Arizona in 2025, and I was able to find a consistent group of runners who looked like me through Black Men Run PHX. I may not be able to be at every run, the host, but it’s really encouraging to know they are out their running daily. I also came across a run club called Amino Run Club, which is based in the heart of Phoenix. Being centrally located made it much easier to access a community of runners who share similar experiences and goals as me. For the first time, I truly felt a sense of belonging in the running space—both as a Black runner and as a person who stutters
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Tucson, Arizona – Inaugural Garmin Marathon 2025