Why I Keep Coming Back To This 5k Year After Year
I’ve been part of the Hope Is Here 5k for Parental Mental Health Awareness for years now.
I’ve walked it pregnant.
I’ve walked it with my son.
I’m walking it again at eight months pregnant this year.
Friends sometimes ask:
“Why this event? Why keep going back?”
The answer has a lot less to do with running and a lot more to do with what this 5k represents.
Continuity: saying “this still matters”
In a world that moves quickly from one cause to the next, there’s something powerful about showing up for the same thing again and again.
Coming back to the Hope Is Here 5k year after year says:
- Maternal and parental mental health still matters
- The need didn’t go away after one event
- We’re committed to this for the long haul
It’s a rhythm of saying, “We haven’t forgotten you,” to parents who are struggling.
Community: reminding moms they’re not alone
Each year at the 5k, I see:
- Moms and parents who’ve survived really dark seasons
- Families walking in honor of babies and stories that weren’t simple
- Kids running and playing, growing up in a community where mental health is named, not hidden
For moms who have felt completely alone in their experience, seeing that kind of community in one place can be incredibly validating.
It’s one thing to read “you’re not alone” online.
It’s another to literally walk beside people who have lived through the same storms.
The message it sends to my kids
When I walk the Hope Is Here 5k at eight months pregnant with my son in his own race bib, I’m not trying to be impressive.
I’m trying to be clear.
I want my kids to grow up seeing that:
- We care about moms and parents when they’re not okay
- We talk about mental health out loud
- We put our feet and our money where our values are
This is part of how I live out Hope Is Here: No Mom Walks Alone in front of them.
Why I’ll keep coming back
I keep returning to this 5k because it brings together:
- Continuity – a repeated “yes” to maternal mental health
- Community – a visible reminder that no parent has to walk this alone
- Conviction – a way to embody the message I talk about all year long
It’s one morning that echoes far beyond the finish line.
As long as there are parents who feel like they’re walking through postpartum in the dark, I’m going to keep coming back to this 5k, step after step, year after year.
Because hope isn’t a oneā€‘time event.
It’s something we keep choosing, together.
If you want more real conversations around postpartum and maternal mental health, you can listen to the Mama Outspoken Podcast here.
You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here.
Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.
