National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman is calling all women to join the Every Woman’s Marathon, a race designed by and for women.
“We know that to be a woman means to be everything for everyone all at once, but when we run, that’s for us,” Gorman says, smiling knowingly at the camera.
The November race will take place in Savannah, Georgia, and the weekend includes cooking classes, yoga sessions, shakeout runs, and plenty of Southern hospitality. (Right now, registration is $65.)
The race’s advisory board includes a number of big names: Kathrine Switzer of Boston Marathon fame, para-triathlon champion Danielle McLaughlin, Olympic medalist and former American record holder Deena Kastor, author and activist Alison Mariella Désir, and two-time Olympian, Boston Marathon champion Des Linden.
An event spokesperson confirmed that the race is actually open to everyone ages 18 and older.
From the folks who brought us “Got Milk?” 30 years ago, the Every Woman’s Marathon is the latest initiative to educate about “gender inequalities in sport.” In 2022, Team Milk sponsored women runners in the New York City marathon, and last year, it extended that sponsorship to any woman who ran a marathon with the team.
Runners will receive specialized training advice and nutrition plans designed for women, according to the organizers. Milk will donate up to $1 million to charity partners that support girls and women, including 261 Fearless, Black Girls RUN!, Girls on the Run, Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“This goes beyond the marathon,” Gorman performs, standing outside of a track. “We are here for the long run.”
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a nine-time marathoner with a best of 3:23. She’s also proud of her 19:40 5K and 5:33 mile. Heather is an RRCA certified run coach.
