When news of Ahmaud Arbery’s killing spread nationwide, J.R. Hughes, a member of the South Fulton Running Partners, decided to run 2.23 miles in May 2020 with 10 others in solidarity.
Five years later, that number has expanded to hundreds in Atlanta and thousands nationwide with a promise that people have not forgotten the 25-year-old Black man, who was chased down and killed while jogging near Brunswick.
“Typically as you move further from tragedy, it grows further from the mind, but I’m encouraged people still care and people continue to come out and show support,” he said. “Ahmaud’s life still means something to people.”
Hundreds of runners from local running groups including South Fulton Running Partners, Movers and Pacers and Black Men Run gathered at the Atlanta Beltline’s West End Trail at noon Sunday for the memorial run.
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Black Men Run, a national running group promoting health and wellness among Black males, partnered with REI Co-op to host four other unity runs across the country in San Francisco, Washington, Denver and Seattle on Sunday morning.
Edward Walton, co-founder and CEO of Black Men Run, said the “running with Maud” also stands for unity, inclusivity and equality, particularly important in today’s political climate.
“We need to work harder and love harder for equality, and not resort to bigotry and hate,” he said. “We will make sure (Arbery’s) inadvertent sacrifice will not be forgotten.”
Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, who was in attendance with The Ahmaud Arbery Foundation, recalled Arbery doing the laundry when he stepped out for a quick run around the neighborhood before his death.
“When Ahmaud left that afternoon, Ahmaud anticipated on returning home to finish his laundry,” she said. “Instead, he never returned.”
Shannon Booker, 42, said the memorial run is a reminder that no one should fear for his or her safety while out and about.
“People should be able to run without the fear of being shot, killed or hurt,” said Booker, who has run with the Movers and Pacers for eight years.
Hughes said since Arbery’s death, he has taken extra precautions before going on a run, like researching a new neighborhood he plans to run through beforehand, letting his wife, Kirsten Hughes, know his whereabouts and running with a group.
“Ever since then, my head is on a swivel,” he said. “You just never know.”
It’s a feeling Kirsten Hughes, 36, shares as well, she said.
After she was furloughed during the COVID-19 pandemic, running was her way of staying sane. But when news of Arbery’s murder surfaced, the West End resident said she not only feared for her own safety but her neighbors, most of whom are Black.
“As a woman running alone and having to be super aware when you run and how you appear to the world, it struck a chord with me,” she said. “That’s why I always run with my dog.”
She said she is participating in the run to show solidarity and be one with her neighborhood.
Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan — who joined in the chase and filmed Arbery’s killing — were arrested in May 2020 after the GBI took over the case from local police.
All three men were convicted of murder in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison. The following year, they were convicted of federal hate crimes for targeting Arbery because of his race.
The Georgia House of Representatives passed a resolution in 2022 recognizing Feb. 23 as Ahmaud Arbery Day, urging people to jog 2.23 miles to signify the date of the shooting.
Arbery and the family believed in the power of community and coming together to run in the name of something greater, Cooper Jones said.
“Thank you for continuing to run with Ahmaud,” she said as the runners set off on their 2.23 miles.
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