Running for Harlem
On 124th street and 5th avenue or mile 22 in the New York City Marathon you can find a cheering section for Harlem Run. “It’s a movement,” says Amir Figueroa, who was one of the participants in the New York City Marathon. The 32 year old is a captain within the movement known as Harlem. Along with partner Alison Desir and 6 other captains and pacers they conduct workouts every Monday and Thursday night in addition to curating several dozen special events throughout the year. Their overall vision is to empower urban communities to get fit. The mission is to not only get Harlem residents in better health but inspire others all across the world.
Figueroa sees running as a tool to get through any obstacle in life, whether it be emotional or physical, running can be the device that used as sanctuary. I met him at a yoga exercise in midtown prepping for the marathon. “It’s a great way to relax, it keeps me flexible, strong and recover faster,” says Figueroa. Figueroa doesn’t have crazy diet plan, just a no alcohol policy he instills to keep him hydrated. He was very energetic and confident going into the race.
On a warm Fall day, Figueroa timed at about 3:49:32, it was one of the best finishes for all the runners out of Harlem Run. After the marathon there was an after party not too far from mile 22 at Springmoves, a local startup that uses music to make runners better and more efficient.
Figueroa came up to the loft space with a jacket wrapped around his body and cheers greeting him, taking pictures with his running mates and the Harlem Run crew. Figueroa wasn’t tired, he was very upbeat at the party, and he described his journey through out the race. “Physically I feel good, I was sore at first. I was doing really well but then at mile 13 my legs started feeling heavy and I think its because I didn’t eat a lot this morning which slowed me down,” says Figueroa. Figueroa described the energy he got seeing the Harlem Run crowd at mile 22. “It gave me so much energy, at that point it just kept pushing me forward and reminded to keep going and don’t stop,” says Figueroa.
Alison Desir founded Harlem Run back in 2013. At the same time Figueroa was leading a group from a local church in Harlem that he attends. Désir found the his group through the hash tag #WeRunHarlem. From there Désir started running with We Run Harlem and vice versa. Pretty quickly the two decided to join forces to make a greater impact and by the summer of 2015, the number of participants expanded from just the two of them to 150.
In the three years of the program it’s helped a lot of people physically and mentally. “We’ve created a space where people are able to be vulnerable and open up, and I think that’s something that’s really powerful about fitness. Fitness allows to make yourself uncomfortable, when you’re uncomfortable you realize that you can grow and stretch and I think that people are also doing that emotionally,” says Desir. She herself can attest to that. When she started the program she was going through depression, a break up with her ex boyfriend and lost her father. Having this group was therapeutic for her. When her father died it was during a run camp, she had to step away, but when she came back the group was supportive in her time of need. “The day that I got back there it was like 30 people ready to run with me for my birthday. So the group has become so much more than running, people are becoming friends, people are in relationships, people are finding jobs,” says Desir.
Their future plans for Harlem Run is to expand into other neigborhoods outside of New York. They’re creating events like the one miler that gets people active in urban communities. “Love New York but New York is really over saturated with experiences and it’s great cause there’s something for everybody, but they’re urban areas where there’s nothing for people of color,” says Desir.
