Our Goal: Join forces with groups that seek change, foster camaraderie, and love adventure as much as we do!
We are beyond stoked to tell you a little about one of our incredible partners: Black Girls Run!. Together we are working to inspire a global team to do hard things and accomplish the amazing.
BLACK GIRLS RUN! MISSION
We want to encourage African-American women to make fitness and healthy living a priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 80% of African-American women are overweight. BGR! wants to create a movement to lower that percentage and subsequently, lower the number of women with chronic diseases associated with an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle.
"I love this organization and love the women in our organization even more! I want to... empower women to hit the pavement and make our community healthier... Ragnar has really understood and supported our mission of increasing diversity and representation in spaces like this. It has been so awesome to see more Black women really embrace the outdoors through their experience with Ragnar." - Jay Ell (Owner + CEO of BGR!)
RAGNAR + BGR!
– Real Women & Real Ragnar Experiences –
These women truly have an indomitable spirit: strong, courageous, and always striving to make a REAL difference in the world. Together we run to make the world a better place one mile at a time. Meet just a few rad BGR! Ragnarians:
Valencia
“Ragnar has taught me how to slow down, embrace the suck, and how make lemonade out of lemons. It has made me appreciate and recognize how strong and resilient a runner I am. Most importantly, it has taught me the value of life experiences and to enjoy the journey. I sincerely appreciate the bonds that are formed amongst strangers… Ragnar is always better together!”
*Valencia has participated and captained over 20+ Ragnar’s
Kelli
“In 2014 a group of 12 all black runners… called Team BLACKOUT ran Ragnar Chicago. At that time they didn’t see any black faces and decided to represent. It was truly exciting to see them conquer those 200 miles… Another reason I continue to sign up for Ragnar races is that I love running places that I’m not familiar with… There is a big difference from seeing the world from a car vs on your feet, you tend to see a lot more.”
*Kelli is a 6x Ragnarian
Jay Ell
“From the roads of Chattanooga to Nashville or the trails in Atlanta, Ragnar is an unforgettable experience. I have built lifelong friendships through our Ragnar teams and discovered another level of running and the outdoors that I have come to love.”
Suzanne
“I can’t decide if it’s the all you can eat s’mores, the unpredictable weather or the camaraderie with my teammates, but running Ragnar relays, no matter which event I’ve done, have all been memorable experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
*To date Suzanne has completed a total of 7 Ragnar events: 5 trail relays, 1 road relay and 1 sunset event.
Ronda
“I have participated in two Ragnar races so far… Two vastly different experiences but both equally amazing and unforgettable… If Ragnar has taught me anything is that in life, you must be comfortable with being uncomfortable and be mentally strong… With the right team and the right attitude, you and your crew can conquer Ragnar too!”
Adina
“Whether it is your first Ragnar or your hundredth I will say if “fear” is stopping you from achieving the goal you set out to do Make a choice to dispute your fear and remove any doubt that may be blocking you for succeeding… I still to this day talk about how I was feeling and almost allowed fear to succumb to my dream of accomplishment… I not only made my team proud I made myself proud. My best memory of completing Ragnar was the team gathering and having the captain put the final medal around my neck. I can proudly say I DID THAT! “
We’ve taken the best of Ragnar and combined it with the indomitable spirit of BGR! What we got was this one of a kind limited edition jacket. It’ll go fast so get it while you still can.
