NYRR Celebrates Women’s History Month: What Makes Us Strong

Women’s History Month celebrates the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. To celebrate Women’s History Month this March, we at New York Road Runners are tapping into the many strengths of women and girls.

We kick off the month with a video, above, featuring members of our staff, participants in our youth and community programs, and pro athletes sharing what makes them strong as female runners.

As we proceed through the month, we’ll update this page to share more stories of strong women and girls, along with advice from women's health and safety experts for wellness on the run, examples of women who share strength from one generation to the next, and a vision of female strength on the run in our future. Keep checking back throughout the month!

And tell us: What makes you strong? It may be using your body to move, making connections and building community with other women, gaining confidence from setting a goal and achieving it, or even embracing vulnerability—knowing when to take a rest day or slow down, or recognizing and embracing the friends who are always there to share the miles.

Check out more stories about women's running history from our blog.

We Asked, You Answered: What Makes Us Strong

At the start of Women’s History Month, we asked you to tell us what makes you strong as a woman runner. We’re so grateful to have heard from many of you, and we share a selection of responses.

We look forward to continuing to share women’s strength in all its forms, all year long.

A Vision for the Future of Female Running

Professional runner Mary Cain writes about her hopes and dreams for how we can and must put systems in place to help nourish young women's love for sport and competition, while teaching them about healthy sport.

Our Strength Is in Our Bonds. Our Strength Is in Sisterhood, Joy, and Laughter

New York City runner and artist Judith N. Reissmann shares her vision of strong women on the run.

Who Inspires Today's Young Women Runners?

We invited our Rising New York Road Runners Youth Ambassadors to write about women in history who inspire them.

Ambassadors Gracie Grommes, Venus Tario, and Shivaii Nikam, all of whom attend school in New York City, presented their responses at a recent NYRR virtual staff event. We share them here.

Healthy Running Through Female-Focused Research and Lifelong Passion

For NYRR's Habitual Routine podcast, Coach Annick Lamar talks with Dr. Ellen Casey, an associate attending physiatrist in the department of physiatry and the Women's Sports Medicine Center at Hospital for Special Surgery, about the science of period tracking, and Shaquana Bell interviews NYRR Striders and Team for Kids coach Asteria Howard about her life in sports, education, and coaching people of all ages and abilities.

Staying Safe on the Run—Together

What does women runners' safety mean to you? There are many different answers.

One way to help all runners stay safe is by sharing information, inspiration, and advice, and working together. The Run Collective's Runner Safety Awareness Week helps make that happen.

Susan Rowels Finds Her Strength Through NYRR Striders

"I just didn’t ever see myself as someone who exercised,” says Susan Rowels, of Harlem, on her sedentary lifestyle growing up.

Learn about how she discovered NYRR Striders, developed a "second family" with her Striders friends and coaches, and has remained active throughout the pandemic.

We Run Brownsville Empowers Women Across Generations

Sheila Gordon and Dionne Grayman created We Run Brownsville in 2015 as a community-based organization that aims to promote holistic health and wellness among women living in the Brownsville neighborhood in Brooklyn.

WRB seeks to embolden women of color to prioritize self-care and take ownership of their physical, mental, and emotional wellness.

Related Content From Our Blog

Black American Women Marathoners from Marilyn Bevans to Aliphine Tuliamuk

Though small in number, Black American women marathoners have been a force for nearly half a century.

As part of our Black History Month celebration in February, we shared how their accomplishments are finally coming to light.

The Inspiring Stories of Women in the NYRR Hall of Fame

The New York Road Runners Hall of Fame honors legendary figures in our sport, who through their triumphs and contributions have made NYRR and the TCS New York City Marathon what they are today.

From record-setting race finishes to selfless leadership of life-affirming causes, these women’s accomplishments extend well beyond the streets of NYC.