Many youth across the Greater New Orleans region lack consistent exposure and access to healthy-living opportunities at home, at school, or in their neighborhood and community. Gaps in healthy habits throughout youth can result in obesity or other long-term physical and mental health problems. Many young people also experience extended benefits from healthy relationships with a supportive peer network and positive role models. Due to systemic inequity in health opportunity, these gaps more significantly impact lower-income communities and communities of color.

By partnering with schools and community sites, we believe we can support youth in developing healthy habits for life through distance running. The individual act of putting one foot in front of the other instills the importance of endurance, focus, and committing to a goal. By participating with Youth Run NOLA year after year, our youth are working on their individual goals with a supportive community of adults and peers. Running with Youth Run NOLA becomes a metaphor for achieving goals and leading a healthy community. We believe the next generation will truly run this city.

Youth Run NOLA is a locally grown, sports-based youth development non-profit that supports 8-18 year olds across St. Bernard, Orleans, and Jefferson Parishes. Guided by a diverse team of teacher-coaches, family, and community members at practice, regional parks, and races around the city, our youth — many with little or no prior experience running — develop a commitment to healthy choices. Each week at school-based practices, youth train alongside their teacher-coaches through a rigorous curriculum of sprint and distance workouts, anatomy and running literacy, team-building, and reflection. The Youth Run NOLA family comes together at monthly races of 5k, 10k, and half marathon distances to run, walk, or jog in celebration of our community and progress. Our youth and adult team members develop the endurance required on a running route and in life, a strong belief in themselves and others, and an expanded sense of what is possible. All while having an epic amount of fun.