There comes a point for every runner when you start to wonder how to run faster. Maybe you want to beat your previous mile time, keep up with a friend, or just feel that satisfying rhythm when your stride clicks and the ground seems to move under you a little easier. The truth is, speed doesn’t come from talent alone; it comes from practice, patience, and a plan.

When Barbara first discovered the Starting Line Scholarship, running was not yet part of her life. She had been walking daily for about two and a half years and noticed the impact movement had on her mental health, helping manage anxiety, depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and grief. But when the idea of adding running came up, she was not sure how to begin.  “I had never run and didn’t know where to start,” she shared. “I happened across the Starting Line Scholarship at about...

Before joining the program, running wasn’t something Jason enjoyed, unless it was a quick sprint. But through the scholarship program, running became a tool for healing and self-discovery.