Black Girls RUN! Local Group Run Agreement - Please Sign

About Us

Of course 
Black girls run!

There’s a huge misconception that black women don’t run. In 2009, Black Girls RUN! was created in an effort to tackle the growing obesity epidemic in the African-American community and provide encouragement and resources to both new and veteran runners.

Our Goal

The goal of “Black Girls Run” is to encourage and motivate black women to practice a healthy lifestyle. We want to serve as a fitness resource for runners and gym rats alike, as well as provide tips and commentary on staying active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  But we also want to start a movement to encourage ALL women to get off the couch and get active. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health,

  • African American women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the U.S.
  • About four out of five African American women are overweight or obese.
  • In 2015, African Americans were 1.4 times as likely to be obese as non- Hispanic whites.
  • In 2015, African American women were 60 percent more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white women.
  • In 2011-2014, African American girls were 50% more likely to be overweight than non-Hispanic white girls.

We can make a lot of excuses as to why these numbers are the way they are, but excuses never solved an epidemic. So, we’re here to make a change, and we hope you are too. There’s a lot to talk about and a lot of calories to burn, so be sure to sign up for automatic alerts and join your local group.

JAY ELL ALEXANDER

BGR! OWNER & CEO

Jay Ell Alexander is motivated by her passion for sparking a change in the minds and bodies of others through her entrepreneurial spirit. As owner and CEO of The Vaughn Strategy, a branding and public relations firm and Black Girls RUN!, a national running organization, she leads a powerful movement that has resonated with a huge audience. Over the last decade, she has established herself as a communications professional with a true commitment to community engagement through her passion for health and fitness. She is also the Founder of the BGR! Foundation, BGR! Junior and C+J Investments.

Black Girls RUN! has helped shift the consciousness of culture for over 250,000 African American women, encouraging them to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle through running, movement and community. It has also transformed the running community and aided in the diversification and increased participation in the sport of endurance distance running. Alexander has received national and international notoriety since the start of her tenure including partnerships with Saucony, Ford, Facebook, Brooks Running, REI, Fleet Feet and media coverage on NBC News, Good Morning America, ESSENCE and Ebony Magazine.

A native of Norfolk, Va., Mrs. Alexander received her Communications degree from George Mason University and her Master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Nonprofit Executive Leadership program and a Certified Run Coach.

She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). She serves a variety of community boards and has completed 2 marathons and 16 half marathons. She is an author of a children’s book to support mothers in their motherhood journey. She has been recognized by iPower Richmond 30 under 30, George Mason University’s Black Alumni 40 Under 40 and the Rising Star Award by PRSA Richmond.

Jay Ell and her husband Christopher celebrated their 10th wedding this year and they are the proud parents of 4-year-old, Chris, Jr. and 1.5 year old daughter, Jaycee. They are also proud pup parents to an 8-year-old black Lab, named Luna.

You can connect and learn more about Jay Ell by going to www.jayellalexander.com.

READY TO GET GOING?

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