In just three weeks, Atlanta and the entire country will come together to celebrate the life and legacy of Ahmaud Arbery with the inaugural Run with Maud 5K Run/Walk.
The event, scheduled for May 6 in Centennial Olympic Park, aims to raise funds for the Ahmaud Arbery Foundation, which was founded by Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones.
The announcement of the Run with Maud event came during a community conversation hosted by the Ahmaud Arbery Foundation and Atlanta Track Club Foundation on February 23, exactly three years after Arbery was tragically shot and killed while out for a run in Brunswick, Georgia. The conversation was led by Wanda Cooper-Jones and Alison Mariella Désir, the author of “Running While Black.”
“Ahmaud ran to feel free,” said Cooper-Jones, who created the foundation in her son’s memory. “It is the goal of the Ahmaud Arbery Foundation for all people to enjoy running for their mental and physical health. The Run with Maud 5K will raise awareness for that vision and funding to provide mental health resources for black boys.”
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Ahmaud Arbery would have celebrated his 29th birthday just two days after the run/walk event. Rich Kenah, CEO of Atlanta Track Club, expressed his deep honor to be a part of an initiative that furthered Arbery’s legacy and raised awareness about the safety concerns faced by runners of color.
The Run with Maud 5K Run/Walk will begin at 8 a.m. on May 6, with all proceeds benefitting the Ahmaud Arbery Foundation. Registration is now open for the event, which will be part of a day-long celebration of running in downtown Atlanta, featuring the Running City Mile and the adidas Atlanta City Games later in the day at Centennial Olympic Park.
The Ahmaud Arbery Foundation, founded in 2020, strives to create a safe space for Black and Brown boys to run freely, promoting mental and physical health in the process. The foundation has already made a significant impact in Ahmaud’s hometown of Brunswick, Georgia, where Ahmaud Arbery Park was named in his honor on February 23, 2022. Safe passage running trails have been established, providing a secure space for anyone to ‘Run with Maud.’
The foundation also aims to supply athletic departments with much-needed physical education resources and encourages the ‘Run with Maud’ movement to raise funds for the mental and physical health of Black and Brown boys around the world.
To join the Run with Maud 5K Run/Walk and contribute to this meaningful cause, visit AhmaudArberyFoundation.org.
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