(photo courtesy of BrooksRunning.com)

Dear Black Girls RUN! Nation,

When we created Black Girls RUN! in 2009, we had no idea that we were igniting a movement that would touch the lives of thousands of women across the country. We wanted to share our love of running with others, while directly addressing the health and well-being of our community. And, we’ve been able to accomplish that and so much more.

Each day, our amazing 200+ ambassadors work tirelessly to support and encourage women in their community to lace up their shoes, put one foot in front of the other, to not just log miles, but to put themselves first and to rightfully reclaim their health and their lives. Our 225,000+ members show up loud and proud rocking their BGR! gear to weekly group runs and races around the world — crushing obstacles, changing the narrative and most importantly supporting each other through all of lives ups and downs. Both setting a great example and foundation for generations to come. 

For 9 years we’ve been vessels of this movement, and today we are excited to announce a new chapter of the organization. Jay Ell Alexander will be the new owner and CEO of Black Girls RUN!. For many years Jay Ell has stood beside us building and growing this community. But she has been more than a colleague. She’s become family. Without a doubt in our minds, she’s the perfect person to carry on the legacy of Black Girls RUN! 

We always knew that the day would come when it was time for us to continue fulfilling our purpose beyond the four walls of Black Girls RUN! and we couldn’t be more excited about what the future holds, for us, Jay Ell and the BGR! Nation. 

Today we stand as two immensely proud and grateful women. We’ll forever be indebted to our ambassadors (past and present) and run coordinators for being the backbone of the organization, and to our members for supporting our vision and each other. 

With Jay Ell’s leadership, we know that the legacy of Black Girls RUN! will continue on and that it will thrive in ways that we could never have imagined. As we pass the torch on, we will be forever grateful for all of the miles, heart and soul each and every one of you have poured into Black Girls RUN! But there’s still more to do, so many more lives to touch, and so many more miles to run. Keeping running, keep pushing the boundaries, and continue to preserve the sexy.