PHOTO | ASHLEY MAHONEY

Black Men run Charlotte are running to raise awareness for Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot and killed in February while running in Brunswick, Georgia. Arbery, an avid runner, was killed after a confrontation with two white men who claim they thought he was an armed suspect. Neither have been charged.

Runners across the nation will participate in a 2.23-mile run in honor of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot and killed while running in a Brunswick, Georgia, neighborhood on Feb. 23.

May 8 would have been his 26^th birthday.

Arbery’s high school football coach, Jason Vaughn, asks that supporters run, walk or jog in support, using #IRunWithMaud on social media. Arbery, a black man who was unarmed during a struggle with two white men who chased him down the street, was an avid runner.

Black Men Run Charlotte are among those participating. They are the local contingent of a national running group designed to foster brotherhood and a healthy lifestyle. For BMR Charlotte co-captain Lamar Cousin, Arbery’s death was to one of their own, not only as a black man, but as a runner. Cousin pointed to the unified call to action from running groups all over the country who are asking people members to participate in tomorrow’s run. Black Girls RUN! are also participating.

“What seems to be a unified voice is we’re all outraged over something like this, and this is one of us—this is one of our running community people,” Cousin said.

Arbery’s death became a national story with the release of a video showing former police officer Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, chasing him after a confrontation. Two local prosecutors recused themselves from the case after citing their relationship with the elder McMichael. A third has indicated the case should be heard by a grand jury. They were charged Thursday with murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

“This man was murdered over two months ago, and no charges were filed,” Cousin said. “They knew who did what, and even with the video coming out, and yet no charges filed.”

Runners explore different areas based on the needs of their run. Some search for hills, while other runs are better suited to a flat area.

“You have runs where you think, ‘I’m bored. I want new scenery,’ so you go someplace different,” Cousin said. “We can all relate to Mr. Arbery’s desire to run in different environments. We all take different things into consideration when you’re running.”

Runners face issues, but they typically come in the form of dogs chasing them, or cars failing to notice them on the road or in a crosswalk.

“If you had asked me a month ago what are the chances you would be shot or whether you’d be hit by a car or chased by a dog on a run, being shot would be the last thing on my mind,” Cousin said. “I would say 90 percent would be being hit by a car, maybe five percent being chased or bit by a dog, and less than that for being shot. So many runners can relate to this man who ran every day of his life, from what I’ve read, it’s heartbreaking.”

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