Why I’m Running the New York City Marathon (and How You Can Help!)

If you know me well, you know I have been working hard over the last few years to figure out who I want to be as I transitioned from a "young adult" to a regular old adult. In the interest of honesty, I am still on my parents' phone plan and use their Netflix account. You can't grow up too fast! But alas, a lot of changes have been made.

Through this journey, I made the scary but exciting choice to move to Denver, decided to break up with alcohol, placed a stronger emphasis on mental health, focused on investing in the relationships that matter, and found a real passion for fitness. I also have the privilege of building a really fun and fulfilling career alongside some incredibly intelligent friends and colleagues who make me smarter every day. The concept of "better, better, never done" comes up a lot in our workplace, and I think of it often when setting personal goals in addition to our professional ones.

But running, in particular, has had a hugely positive impact on my life in recent years. Running has helped me learn to celebrate both big and small successes, build trust with myself, and realize that the only competition I’m really in in life is me today vs. me yesterday.?Put simply, running makes me a better person.

I’ve had so much fun running some really great races over the last few years, but I’m ready for something bigger. So, without further adieu, I’m so excited to share that I have been selected to run the 2024 New York City Marathon on behalf of the One Love Foundation , an organization that has given me so much over the last 7+ years.?

If you know the Mullin family, you know One Love. It was founded to honor the tragic death of Yeardley Love by engaging young people through compelling, relatable films and honest conversations about healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors. Unhealthy relationship behaviors often go unrecognized because people don’t have the tools to identify them until they escalate to abuse. One Love utilizes a train-the-trainer model to empower young people to lead life-changing discussions with their peers in their communities.

Over 1 in 3 women, 1 in 3 men, and 1 in 2 transgender and nonbinary people will experience relationship violence in their lifetime. Read that back.

One Love has educated over 2 million people through its workshops, has over 41,000 volunteers educated and trained to facilitate workshops, and has over 760 student leaders across the country. With your support, we can continue to educate individuals, raise awareness, and mobilize more people to end relationship abuse.?

So, how can you help??

• Talk to your kids, your siblings, your nieces and nephews, your grandchildren—whoever—about healthy relationships. One Love has an incredible education center to get you started. These conversations matter, and if this post causes a few people to have them, it will have been worth it. I know it's hard. I know these discussions are not always fun, but they can save the life of someone you love. If you have a young person in your life who you think should connect with someone who has walked this road before, send me a message. I would love to speak with them.
• Of course, I’d love it if you would consider supporting my fundraising efforts. My goal is to raise $10,000. My lovely parents will match the first $5,000 I raise, and I will also commit $1,000. To be transparent, I only need to raise $4,000 to run this race, so I have it covered. The point of this post is more to spark conversations around your dinner table about what healthy relationships look like. If you have the means to support this great cause, I would be incredibly grateful.
• Comment your favorite pump-up song! I’d love to add it to my training or race-day playlist.?
• Have race day tips or tricks? If so, tell me what you wish you knew. I’d love to hear about your experience.

I saw a quote the other day that really sticks with me. "It's about who we become while we're doing the work, more than the outcome from the work itself." So my challenge to you, if you've made it this far in my post, is to really think about the goals you'd like to set for yourself and the limits you may have placed on yourself that are keeping you from achieving them. Whether it be in your personal life, your professional life, your fitness life - whatever - show up for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Because goals are fun, I'll share that mine is to finish the race in 3 hours and 45 minutes. But if I don't hit my time goal, that's okay, too, because I will still be a little better than I was yesterday :). I'm incredibly lucky to get to chase dreams like this, and I am so grateful to everyone who supports me along the way.

With gratitude,

Courtney