The 600-Mile Run for Elephants 🐘
A journey of endurance, devotion, and protection
The first 10k loop of two was a trail that slipped and flowed with a sticky, heavy mud with the consistency of rubber cement. It was a highly technical course through Mt. Airy Forest, with many slow moving sections as we climbed over steep stone steps, glided down precipitous slopes as slippery as wet ice, and muddled across steams rising rapidly in the constant rain. Who would have guessed that a locally organized half marathon trail run in Cincinnati, Ohio would be so difficult?
My event was two 10k laps. As I neared the completion of the first lap, my clothes were drenched and my shoes were heavy with mud. I knew the second lap would be even more treacherous, as the rain had continued and as other runners had shifted the ground since the first lap. My mind told me that I could stop and it would be okay; that I was doing this journey for fun anyway and logging 6.5 miles was better than a zero day so why push myself? But then I imagined an elephant running beside me. She lifted her trunk joyfully as she trotted alongside me, and I knew that I had to continue to finish the entire race. That was the promise I had made, and it is in that space of giving of my own energy to something more that healing and transformation is discovered. I pushed on, and ended up finishing 13th overall and 6th among women. My imaginary elephant friend vanished somewhere along the second lap, but she had reminded me of my purpose for running through the forest in the mud and rain early on a Saturday morning.
The Why
There are some journeys you choose and there are others that quietly choose you.
Since May 16, I have embarked on a journey to run 600 miles in support of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, a refuge where elephants who have endured captivity are given the rare and sacred gift of space to heal, autonomy to exist, and the dignity of a life no longer defined by performance. At the time of this update in mid-July, I am at mile 213. For me, this has been a practice of returning to what it means to move with purpose. Each step has been a devotion. Each mile has been a meditation on peace, healing, and protection for these beings who can share their deep, spiritual guidance with us, if we are silent long enough to hear them.
The Mission
This initiative exists to:
- Raise funds for the lifelong care of rescued elephants
- Amplify awareness around ethical wildlife stewardship
- Transform endurance into advocacy, one mile at a time
100% of all proceeds will go directly to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.
Check out the EleCam to see the elephants and the habitat for yourself.
Thank you to the first 200 mile sponsors:
- Brandon Holmes of Ohio, USA
- Tom & Joyce Barker of Indiana, USA
- Scott Menzies and Emily McPhail of Washington, USA
- Katy Heins of Ohio, USA
- Laura Taylor of Kentucky, USA
- Richard Hazel of California, USA
- Lisa Herzog of South Carolina, USA
- Gage Woolley of Ohio, USA
- Anonymous of Ohio, USA
The Journey: 600 Miles
- Start: May 16, 2026
- End: October 26, 2026
- Distance: 600 miles
- Format: Accumulated miles across months through solo trail runs, organized community running events, on the treadmill at Orange Theory and at the University of Cincinnati facilities, and intentional movement.
- Running Log: Mile 213
Each mile is a marker of effort, of awareness, and of quiet solidarity with beings whose lives have required unimaginable resilience.
How to Participate
This is a shared journey! An official campaign fundraising page has been set up through The Elephant Sanctuary and 100% of proceeds go directly to them.
Sponsor a Mile
Choose a mile or more and attach your name, your intention, or someone you love to the journey.
Make a Donation
Contribute a flat amount in support of elephant care and habitat through The Elephant Sanctuary.
Follow + Share
Witness the unfolding. Share the mission. Help expand the circle of awareness.
The Elephants
The elephants supported through this initiative have lived many lives before arriving at sanctuary. Some were performers. Some were confined. Many carry the physical and emotional imprints of those experiences. At The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, they are no longer asked to entertain, respond, or perform.
They are simply allowed to be.
Since 1995, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee has provided home and care to 36 elephants. Currently, there are 12 elephant residents, with space to welcome more. The Sanctuary initially began on 110 acres and has since expanded to encompass multiple separate and protected, diverse habitats, spanning over 3,060 acres.
The Sanctuary is honored to provide lifelong care for elephants. The changing needs of elephants as they age require lifetime care plans. The shared commitment to each elephant’s health and well-being often leads to beneficial collaboration with other elephant facilities and owners.
The Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
A Personal Note
Since I started my journey as a runner at the age of 11, it has been a practice of humility, focus, mental endurance, and where effort strips away distraction and reveals something quieter underneath. This adventure extends that space outward. It is an offering to align movement with meaning, and a reminder that endurance, when paired with intention, can become a form of care.
Join the Movement
If this speaks to something in you like a love for elephants, a respect for endurance running, or a belief that small actions accumulate into meaningful change, I invite you to be part of this.
Closing Reflection
There is a quiet intelligence in the way elephants move through the world
slowly, deliberately, and deeply aware of their surroundings and their relationships.
To run for them is to learn from them and to remember that strength does not always rush. Healing, whether human or elephants, unfolds over distance, through energy, and with focused care.
Following the Nomad Star 