Bringing Justice and Positive Change to Communities Through Running

Jackie Hoffman (left) and Daryl "Stretch" Murphy are building community and advocating for justice through running.

Running can be a powerful way to bring people together and advocate for change and justice. As NYRR celebrates Black History Month, we spotlight two runners who are working for justice and positive change in their communities.

Daryl “Stretch” Murphy, Miles for Justice

Back in 2020, during the early months of the pandemic, Daryl "Stretch" Murphy started running 5K every day. “It was great for my physical and mental health,” said Murphy, who’d run track in childhood but later stopped when he did sports where running was seen as punishment.

After the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, he turned his run streak into Miles for Justice, a campaign to raise funds and awareness for social causes. “I wanted to do something,” he said. “I saw how powerful running was.”

Miles for Justice grew into a mission to advance more equitable communities through education and athletics. Across three fundraising campaigns, the initiative has raised more than $20,000, with much of it going to support Little Free Library locations throughout the country.

Murphy also leads the Easton Run Club in Columbus, Ohio, a weekly community walk and run that encourages people of all fitness and experience levels to get moving. “Running is a transformational activity—you’re always moving forward. It brings people together and is accessible to many people. It’s one of the best things we can do for community engagement,” he said.

His 5K-a-day run streak is still going strong, now at over 1,750 consecutive days including five marathons and a trail ultramarathon. He’s training for the Boston Marathon in April.

“I thought running was in my past and wouldn’t be in my future,” he said. “Now, so many people in my community tell me they started running because of me. Being able to see those success stories, that’s success for me.”

Jackie Hoffman, Peace Runners 773

“I started Peace Runners out of fear of losing my mom,” said Jackie Hoffman, who grew up in Garfield Park, a predominantly Black neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side.

Hoffman knew poverty and violence in childhood, but he was less aware of the health inequities devastating his community. That changed in 2020 when he sat at home with his mother for a telehealth appointment with her doctor.

“He’s telling her about discrepancies in health outcomes for people in our community—diabetes, obesity, heart disease—and saying she’s at risk for all of this,” he said.

Poor health outcomes in communities of color have been tied to scarce resources to support healthy lifestyles. “Why is cardiovascular disease the biggest cause of death in our community? Part of the problem is lack of access to movement,” Hoffman said.

He organized a Juneteenth 5K run/walk in Garfield Park on June 19, 2020. That first workout, attended by about 20 people, led to a movement for safe, inclusive activity. Hoffman founded Peace Runners 773 as a nonprofit to help improve health outcomes and advocate for health equity.

Through the weekly workouts and other lifestyle changes, Hoffman’s mom dramatically reduced her health risks. “She lost 60 pounds and went from 13 meds to zero meds,” he said.

Peace Runners’ free weekly workouts in Garfield Park have continued ever since as part of the organization’s efforts to bring affordable resources to underserved Black and Brown communities and to advocate for a wellness-focused vision.

“If you come to Chicago, they’ll tell you to stay away from Garfield Park, but that narrative is being changed,” said Hoffman. In 2024, more than 1,100 Peace Runners completed a 5K, 182 completed a half marathon, and 43 finished the Chicago Marathon.

Hoffman created a new campaign, Miles for Peace, and will run and fundraise at the 2025 Tokyo, Boston, and Sydney marathons.

“We’ll be bringing awareness for continued social and health disparities,” he said. “There’s a Garfield Park in every community.”

Murphy and Hoffman spoke at a recent "Movement Makers" series event for NYRR staff as part of honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day.