Moving Forward Together in the Bronx
Meet Elías Cruz, a Rising New York Road Runners program lead and coach at MS 244 The New School for Leadership and The Arts in the Bronx, near where he grew up.
“As a young man, my track team was always a home away from home,” said Elías. “It gave me one of the fondest memories of my youth. We went from being on a team to having lifelong friendships.”
A Track Program for Youth
Now at age 29 he continues to run while also encouraging young runners to chase down their own goals through Rising New York Road Runners, a free, nationwide program that helps youth develop the ability, confidence, and desire to be physically active for life.
Elías said his school community mourned many losses during the pandemic and that the 2020-2021 school year was the perfect time to start a track program. During the 2021-2022 school year, Elias became a Rising New York Road Runners program lead. He wanted to give the students what he was given when he was a RNYRR participant—the opportunity to create healthy relationships, set goals, and experience the joys of being part of a team
“It’s been really cool seeing [young] runners who have never done anything physical before going to their first race. Some sixth graders hadn’t left their house in two years and then ran through Times Square or on the [Coney Island] boardwalk, and now they’re so excited to go to different races. One of the kids is collecting all the bibs and hanging them up across their room.”
“[During the pandemic] some students went through incredibly hard emotional moments, and it was clear that they all needed something when they returned [to school], to feel part of a community,” he said. “The running community is loving, and we will care for you and support you.”
Shoe Distribution Program in the Bronx
Rising New York Road Runners distributes shoes to kids at schools with limited resources in partnership with New Balance. Since 2007, more than 37,000 pairs of shoes have been distributed to qualified participants.
On September 16, the Rising New York Road Runners Back-to-School Shoe Distribution event will take place at MS 244 with Elías at the helm. He knows the difference a new pair of shoes can make, and remembers one student who’d stopped coming to practice because his old shoes didn’t fit.
“A lot of our runners have sneakers from their older brothers or parents, so before [the shoe distribution program], they said their toes were crunched up,” Elías said. With new, properly fitting shoes the students can now run without that pain and come to practice regularly.
Heritage at the Heart
MS 244 has a predominantly Hispanic/Latinx student population, many of whom are first-generation immigrants. Elías comes from a similar background and speaks Spanish to his students and their parents to create a sense of community.
“I’ll have conversations with them in Spanish and they recognize they’re not the ‘other’ in this environment, they’re part of this team. I’ve seen this before where the coaches don’t know the language, or the culture, but on my team they feel accepted.”
Elías tries to incorporate music into the practices, and some students even ask him to play specific songs. He has also brought cultural dishes for the students to try because he said sometimes you bond more through eating together.
“A track student will come up to me and say, ‘Mr. Cruz, you feel like my dad.’ They see so much of themselves in me.”