Black Girls Run aims for improved health

By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook Staff Writer

The giveaway was the pink and black outfits that the women wore. 

Then, the way they gathered together at the end of the race was another telltale sign that there was something special about the group of women in the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot race.

Up close it was clear to see Black Girls Run scribed on their t-shirts. 

The group of about 15 women didn’t hang around the finish line in Southwood, waiting for results. Top finishes isn’t why they participated.

“You encourage people to do their best and that’s it,” said Marcia Porter, a lead runner for the group.  “Just ridiculous fun.”

The local Black Girls Run group is affiliated with the national organization by the same name. More than 250,000 women have joined nationwide, with a membership of about 1,500 in Tallahassee.

The organization, founded in 2009 by Jay Ell Alexander, is on a health mission more than winning trophies.  

The statistics bear that out, according to information on the organization’s website. It shows that the highest rates of being overweight or obese are among African American women in comparison to other groups in the U.S. For example, 2014 figures show that African Americans were 1.4 times as likely to be obese as non- Hispanic Whites.

Seventy-six-year-old Edwina Porter has been with the local group for nine years. She doesn’t run as much now but she seldom misses a race, walking instead as she did during last Thursday’s Turkey Trot.

“It lowers your blood pressure,” she said. “It’s just for health reasons for me. I don’t really try to compete with anybody. I’m just doing me. Usually I come out on top.”

Berinice Mercer-Lewis is one of two leaders who members describe as ambassadors. The other is Zandra Odum. When the local group started, membership was mostly Black women, Mercer-Lewis said, emphasizing that women of any race or ethnicity could join.

Many who become members consider their involvement to be life-changing, Mercer-Lewis said. Several members lost weight and had reduced use of medications, she said.

 “I have had people come and tell me ‘you saved my life,’ ” said Mercer-Lewis, a nurse at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. “I like to hear that because I’m in healthcare.”

Laura Lopez, a Puerto Rico native, is one of the group’s newest members. She hopes being a member of Black Girls Run will help sustain her passion for running. She had tried running by herself unsuccessfully, she said.

“It’s their great support and camaraderie that keep me going,” said Lopez, who joined two months ago. “Hopefully I will do the Tallahassee (half marathon). That’s what I’m training for.”

Jennifer McKelvie is an even newer member who ran her first race with the group in the Turkey Trot. Being with the group makes her health conscious, but her goal goes beyond that.

“I’m trying to get ready for a challenge that we are doing,” she said. “It’s a 90-day workout challenge in January so I want to get started now.

 “I run a lot in the military and I’ve run off and on. Now I want to be more consistent; run without stopping (and) keep up my endurance and really stay fit. I need the camaraderie and the support to do it.”

Running as a group wasn’t limited to Black Girls Run. The team competition brought out about 100 individuals on seven squads, said Tim Unger, team coordinator for Gulf Winds Track Club, host of the annual race.

Unger’s team, What You See Is What you Get, which included University of West Florida track coach Caleb Carmichael, won the 10K and 15K races.

The 5K race was won by a team from Chiles High School. Several college runners from FSU were also part of that team. Second place was won by the Rams, a team of boys and girls that represented Raa Middle Schools.

Team competition has been a part of the Turkey Trot for more than two decades, although the number of participants fluctuated.

“Once you get going, it’s all fun,” Unger said. “This is the biggest race in Tallahassee and there are thousands of runners who come around to do this event once a year. The camaraderie is outrageously good.”