Social media influencer King Randall, I. started a running initiative to combat rising preventable health issues in Albany, GA. He started with a single Facebook post saying “Albany, run with me,” with a photo of himself running. This post grew so big that the last community run he held had over 400 people in attendance at just 5:30 in the morning.
Early morning runs aren’t for the weak but are achievable. Randall said, “What’s beautiful is that we hear people don’t want to do anything and people are lazy, but all it takes is a spark. To get people excited to get up at four in the morning to come run, that’s passion.”
Randall continued, “It doesn’t feel good to get up every time, but when you’re done, you feel accomplished, disciplined, and ready to attack the day.”
For Amy Davis and Angie Perret, this movement stands as encouragement. “Honestly, we read about this on social media. We have been looking for some good motivation to get out and get moving,” said Davis.
The reason Randall started this initiative was a conversation he had with the local coroner. Randall said, “I asked [the coroner] why people are dying in Albany. He said it’s from preventable health related issues. We can have some control in this statistic by moving our bodies and exercising.”
Local runner Perry Ford holds health at a high place in his life. “Being healthy is vital. You make better decisions, have less stress and a better life,” said Ford.
Randall said, “We have dialysis clinics everywhere. We want to get healthy again, and we want people excited about doing so. We are saying come fellowship with us and, in turn, people are doing something positive with their health.”
Randall enjoys seeing the community share positive messages about his movement. Davis said, “For the community, it means bringing people together from all parts of town to support each other.”
This movement has started more early morning running initiatives in five other counties. Davis continued, “I think it’s amazing that other communities are starting their own health initiative. Our health as a society has declined so much in my lifetime because we are so influenced by food. I think this is just another way to push people to healthier lifestyles.”
One piece of advice that Randall gives to those who are unsure of bettering their health is, “I say jump and build your wings on the way down. Some people think they must have a plan to start, but you just need to start. If you begin, God will do the rest for you.”
If you want to join Randall and the other members, they start their run at 5:30 a.m. sharp every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, at 120 Pine Ave. Albany, GA. If Albany is out of reach for you, start your own community movement and be the change in the statistic of preventable deaths related to health issues.
Great work Hunter
Great report on this initiative.