Run Nancy Run!

Dr. Nancy Glass has finished the 7 Day 7 Marathon race in the Congo. We look forward to hearing about her stories and experiences of this amazing adventure. We have lived vicariously through her, following the run online through Facebook (Run Across Congo), Twitter, Onthegroundglobal.org, and #RunNancyRun.Run Across CongoAs I browse through the media posted by Run Across Congo, the trending theme is teamwork. Running can be an individual sport; one that requires great endurance and mental toughness. But, I think every runner or athlete would tell you that you run faster when someone is cheering for you. You find strength and are able to persevere when someone is running alongside you. Together the team faced both physical and mental exhaustion. However, one runner (Claire Everhart) explained that the pain the runners felt during the seven days is nothing compared to the pain that women face daily in the Congo region. Each day of the race, Run Across Congo posted a new statistic or quote. On day 2, they posted,

“A woman is raped about once every minute in the DRC.”

I think after reading this you wouldn’t even ask,

“Why would someone run 7 marathons in 7 days?”

Rather you would ask,

“Why aren’t more women running?”

Ironically, when you view the footage from the race, you see pure joy, not sorrow. The bright smiles of the local villagers are contagious. The images do not tell a story of pain and suffering, they tell a story of hope…hope for a better tomorrow.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/_5XMVTbOmO8[/youtube]