On March 16th, I will be running the NYC United Half Marathon with the Shoe4Africa team.

Back in November, I came across an article in The New York Times titled “Four women runners brutally killed in Kenya: ‘It’s no longer safe for any athlete.” Many in the running community were aware of former-Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei’s murder in September of 2024. The article also sheds light on 3 other murders of female runners and the difficult situation many female athletes in Kenya find themselves in, where the only way to stay out of poverty and further their running career is by entering marriages that end up with them losing control of their prize money, their property, their autonomy, and in a few cases, their life.

As a former D1 track athlete and a life long runner, I’ve seen first hand how running can open doors and break barriers. It was heart-wrenching to read about women at the top levels of this sport who are having all of those advantages taken away from them. The amazing work Shoe4Africa is doing to support female athletes was mentioned in the article and I joined their half marathon team with the goal of raising money to help this cause.

Shoe4Africa runs a domestic abuse support group in Kenya to protect female runners. They are also currently fundraising for safe houses for these athletes. Having these houses protects these women from predatory coaches and gives these runners the opportunity to support themselves during training, as the plan is to include work options at Shoe4Africa farms for those staying at the safe houses.

Outside of supporting Kenyan female runners, Shoe4Africa is also working to raise funds for the construction of sub-Saharan Africa’s first children’s cancer hospital.

Currently 9 out of 10 children diagnosed with cancer in this region do not survive. Shoe4Africa has already achieved a significant milestone by building East & Central Africa’s first Public Children’s Hospital, which has provided crucial care to over 1,000,000 children. Now, they aim to take it a step further by constructing a dedicated children’s cancer hospital.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my fundraising page. My fundraising goal is $1,000 and 100% of your donation, regardless of the amount, will go directly to Shoe4Africa.

I truly appreciate any support you can provide. And for my East Coast family & friends, hope to see you at the race in March!

Erin