The run took place around Tompkins Square Park within the East Village, which is where Harbor lived on the time he said he was battling addiction. As he ran, he couldn’t help but reflect on the trajectory of his own life and the lives of the runners around him.
“Being with this group and seeing all these inspiring people making big changes of their lives was very moving,” Harbor told Well+Good.
The run was created through a partnership between Back on My Feet and sportswear brand Brooks. Through December 14, Brooks is running the Buy Gear, Give Gear program where purchases made on the Brooks website shall be combined with donations of shoes and apparel to Back on My Feet.
“It gives many people who find themselves struggling the chance to experience the advantages of exercise,” Harbor says of Brooks Buy Gear’s partnership, Give Gear with Back on My Feet.
This is an enormous deal for Harbor as running has played a very important role in his life. Like many individuals, Harbor struggled with anxiety in the course of the pandemic and used running as a way of coping. As with Back on My Feet, getting up and fascinating in physical activity helped him construct his physical and mental strength. Running has been proven to have many mental health advantages, comparable to improving mood and concentration.
Harbor also says running Back on My Feet reminded him of running’s ability to construct bonding and gratitude. By specializing in the act of putting one foot in front of the opposite, you tune in to the incredible knowledge and capability embedded in your bones and muscles – and that’s something that every one of us can share. The practice of gratitude is a proven approach to reducing stress and increasing happiness, and research has shown that connecting along with your community is “significant predictor of mental health and well-being later in life“. As Harbor discovered, it seems that running is an awesome method to do each.
“There’s something about running together where we’re all human beings, whatever the circumstances of our lives,” says Harbour. “There’s something about it that keeps you grounded in the current moment and makes you grateful for the physical abilities you could have and connects you to other people in an easy, profound thing that a lot of us can do together”.
