Wild Ideas Worth Living · Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Alison Mariella Désir's initial efforts to start a run club in Harlem were slow, but after the first person showed up, the momentum built rapidly. Within six months, the group grew from two people to over 100, eventually reaching 150 participants of diverse ages and races. Key tenets of Harlem Run include automatic membership upon showing up and welcoming all paces.
“And of course, after that, like six months after that, there were over 100 people running with us.”
“Yeah, 150 people showing up all ages, races, in Harlem.”
“First, if you show up once, you're automatically a member of the club. Second, all paces are welcome.”