2022 Power Woman of the Year, Women’s Running Magazine
Most Influential African Americans aged 25-45, The Root 100
Run Happy Advocate, Brooks
Athlete Ambassador, Athlete Ally
Advisory Board, Strava
Board Member, &Mother
Co-founder, Running Industry Diversity Coalition
Founder, Harlem Run
Founder, Run4AllWomen
Founder, Global Womxn Run Collective
Founder, Meaning Thru Movement
Scholar
Activist
Marathoner
Author
TV Show Host
Mother
The list of accolades for Alison Mariella Désir is long, ever growing, and most weren’t even a dream in the months before Alison started training for her first marathon. It wasn’t until she saw a friend – a Black man who was on the chubby side – who was training that Alison, a track athlete in a post-graduation induced depressive state, decided to give distance running a try.
We’re so glad she did.
Late in 2022, ten years after her re-entry to running, Alison’s debut book Running While Black hit the shelves at a sell out pace. It is single handedly changing the way that the running industry and runners across the country think about diversity in running and is starting conversations on how to correct the mainstream narrative that running is for thin, white, cisgender men who want to run fast. Through sharing her own story, Alison welcomes you in to learn the historic omission of Black contributions to run alongside her. She brings you along as she starts Harlem Run, deals with pushback from other run groups, and even attends an NYC workout at Bethesda Fountain where a bunch of people are yelling just after 6am…
The November Project co-leaders were fortunate enough to have a sneak peak at Alison’s book and have the privilege of her participating in our annual Meeting of the Minds last year in Boulder, Colorado. Alison led a thought provoking activity and made meaningful contributions to group discussion and breakout sessions with NP leaders from across the globe.
Alison’s loving but critical eye of the running industry tirelessly works to create space for ALL runners and push the industry forward, November Project included. We’re grateful for the grace Alison has shown November Project and for her (many) call ins over the years. You can learn more about and support her work through the links below, and make sure to join us tomorrow for one of two community conversations on the book, more info on that here.
Alison Mariella Désir + Running While Black: Alison Mariella Désir is multi-talented: a founder, a doer, an activist, a connector, and an unapologetically straightforward communicator with a passion for community health. Alison came to running organically, following a period of depression, when a Black friend and role model trained for and completed a marathon.
Running Industry Diversity Coalition: The RIDC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that unites the running industry to provide resources, measure progress, and hold the industry accountable to equitable employment, leadership, and ownership positions and improve inclusion, visibility, and access for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).
Harlem Run: Founded in November 2013, Harlem Run is a collective of runners passionate about running and community. Strong, positive and diverse, we all call Harlem home. We welcome runners, walkers and joggers of all sizes, ages and abilities as we run the streets of our iconic neighborhood and get fit together. We start on time and end together with a stretch. Membership is FREE! We look forward to having you with us.
Run4AllWomen: Empowering women thru fitness; using running as a vehicle for social change
Meaning Thru Movement: A nationwide series promoting fitness & mental health
Out & Back: Alison Mariella Désir explores the Pacific Northwest with the change-makers who are reclaiming space, creating awareness and delivering access for the health and well-being of BIPOC communities in the region.
