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People from far and wide came together virtually on Friday, May 8 to honor the life of Ahmaud Arbery.
Download Your Training Plan, Arbery was shot and killed on February 23 by two armed white men. A video of the incident was made public on May 6, which drew outcry from all over the country. The two suspects, who had not been charged or held prior that, were taken into custody on Thursday night.
While out for a run near his Brunswick, Georgia home spread on social media. Runners were asked to do 2.23 miles, acknowledging the date he was killed, and post their run on social media using the hashtag #IRUNWITHMAUD. Friday would have been Arbery’s 26th birthday.
“We are calling runners across the nation and the world to find your favorite route, your favorite neighborhood, favorite park, the treadmill, wherever you do your routine, and come together and dedicate 2.23 miles of your workout to Ahmaud and post a video, photo, or message with the hashtag,” Jason Vaughn, Ahmaud Arbery’s high school football coach and organizer of the run, told Runner’s World. “When we get them all, we plan to show his mother and his family that there’s positive support from all over the world.”
As of Saturday at 12 p.m. ET, there have been more than 170,000 posts on Instagram with the hashtag. Hundreds of thousands more were posted on Twitter and Facebook.
Below are a few of the many, many posts from runners and celebrities who are speaking out in support of Arbery and his family’s effort to seek justice.
American Marathon Legend Meb Keflezighi
Ultrarunner Mirna Valerio
Black Men Run
Iconic American Sprinter Michael Johnson
Paralympian Scout Bassett
Trail Runner Joe Gray
Olympian Tianna Bartoletta
New England Patriots Safety Devin McCourty
UCLA Assistant Basketball Coach Tasha Brown
New Orleans Saints Safety Malcolm Jenkins
Black Girls Run! Run Club
Detroit’s We Run 313 Run Club
Did you run 2.23 miles in honor of Ahmaud on Friday? Let us know in the comments, or tag Runner’s World on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Running Community Virtually Comes Together to Remember Ahmaud Arbery Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand. His work has previously been published in Men’s Health.
