What Is Mile in My Shoes?
Partnering with substance-use recovery programs, homeless shelters, veterans’ organizations, and reentry centers for people exiting incarceration, Mile in My Shoes sees running as a tool for both personal and collective transformation. By centering people and spaces historically excluded by the running community, our teams use movement as a catalyst for social justice. By bringing together people from diverse backgrounds, our Resident Members and Run Mentors not only find common ground, but learn from and reach out to one another for support. As we transform ourselves, we transform one another, and we transform our communities.
Our Mission
We run together to transform ourselves, one another, and our community.
Our Vision
Mile in My Shoes uses the power of running to bring together people from diverse backgrounds to build connections, boost wellness, spark social change, and center people traditionally excluded from running spaces.
Our Values
Guided by the following philosophies and values, we:
Prioritize Inclusion & Safety: We believe everyone should be able to run, and do so safely - especially those historically excluded from running spaces.
Show Up: We show up, are present, and honor the potential we see in ourselves and one another.
Have an open & curious mindset: Genuine interest in one another, and our own willingness to be vulnerable, lead to community connectedness and shifts in perceptions.
Embrace the Challenge(s): We grow by being challenged. Whether it be a difficult conversation, workout, or mood, we commit to embracing the hard stuff in order to grow.
Recognize Our Collective Value: Every person brings to the circle their own unique lived experiences, and every person brings value. Therefore, everyone who joins us makes us better.
Since our founding in 2014, over 1,000 people experiencing homelessness and other barriers have laced up new shoes and run their very first mile with MiMS. More than 600 have completed a 5K race, and dozens have completed half-marathons and full marathons. 100% of Resident Members share that they see themselves differently than when they began Mile in My Shoes, and 85% feel more connected to their community. We have hosted over 600 volunteer Run Mentors, 80% of whom have paced a Member in at least one race.
Learn more about our impact here.
MiMS in Motion
Mile in My Shoes’ Downtown Run Around, our very own 5K, brings together Members and Mentors from all our teams, alongside runners from across the community every June. See a 30-second burst of WOO in this video from our 2024 event!
Land Acknowledgment
Mile in My Shoes runs on the stolen ancestral homelands of the Oceti Sakowin and other Tribal Nations such as the Anishinaabe. We acknowledge that this land was stolen through dishonesty, genocide, displacement, and coercion, and we recognize how that legacy created the pathways we run on now. Despite this history, many Indigenous leaders and runners of various tribes thrive on this land. Learn more about the land we run on here.