Divas on the Run

Published 4:00 am Sunday, May 8, 2016

Divas 3

Meridian team shines at South Carolina marathon series

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Team FeBro, Divas on the Run (DOTR) took their running skills on the road recently, stopping in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

“We charted a bus, and road trip it was!” said Felicia Brown, founder of the community-based running group that promotes fitness for women from diverse backgrounds and ages. “We had a blast! We trended on Facebook using the #dotrroadtrip2k16.”

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The 50 Meridian running enthusiasts completed the Divas Half Marathon Series. Not to be mistaken with the Meridian series of the same name, the South Carolina competition is about empowering women.

“While the race is open to both genders, men cannot win,” Brown said. “It is a race of sisterhood and excitement.”

The Divas Half Marathon Series sponsors running events throughout the United States. The event the Meridian group completed included 4,000 participants, who could choose to run either a 5K or half marathon.

“The majority of Meridian’s Divas on the Run ran the half,” Brown said.

While the spirit of competition and sisterhood were the highlights of the event, there were other a few others – awaiting those who crossed the race’s finish line.

“At the end of the race, you were greeted with a glass of champagne,” Brown said. “And, a shirtless hunk placed your medal on you.”

The Meridian entourage also included several faithful followers, their own security and their personal professional photographer, Atlanta-based photographer Terrell Clark of Meridian.

“We had a few hiccups along the way,” Brown said, “but overall everything went well because we are still talking to each other, nicely.” 

 

About 

Divas on the Run

 

Founded in 2007, Divas on the Run was sparked by a group of women who wanted a healthier lifestyle. To achieve this, the women turned to Felicia Brown, a local running enthusiast who has participated in numerous competitive road runs – including the New York City Marathon.

But unlike Brown, most of the women – who ranged in age from 13 to late 50s – had never participated in a competitive road run, much less run for fitness or participated in a regular exercise program. So when first approached by Gwen Blakely to start a women’s running group, Brown was a little hesitant.

“It was during my (marathon) training season when she asked me about doing it, so I was really busy. Plus, the weather was cold, and a lot of times people aren’t as committed to exercise when it’s cold,” Brown said. “I’ve formed running groups before and a lot of time people will say they want to do it, but after awhile they stop showing up.”

Blakely assured Brown that would not be the case with this group.

The group of 23 women began training. Two groups were formed – one met at 5:30 a.m. at Northcrest Church, the second at 5:30 p.m. at Bonita Lakes. Their daily training started off very slowly.

“If it’s done too fast at first, it doesn’t seem attainable to the person and they become frustrated and are more likely to quit,” Brown said. “I constantly emphasized that this was not a weight-loss program, but a fitness program. You might lose weight in the process, but the goal is to learn to run for a healthier lifestyle. You’ll feel better, have more energy and gain self confidence.”

Workouts were 30 minutes – 2 minutes running, 4 minutes walking. As the group progressed, their running/walking times increased. Once they could run 14 minutes non-stop for a couple of weeks, their run time was increased to 30 minutes.

In addition to words of encouragement from Brown, the women were rewarded with incentives – little running-theme happies, special drawings and Diva T-shirts, as well as water and sports drinks.

Four weeks into training, calisthenics and weight training was added to the fitness regimen, which by then extended to an hour. When the women were able to run 30 minutes nonstop for a week, Brown presented a new challenge: Run 3 miles – at their own pace.

“Some of them could run 3 miles in 30 minutes; others couldn’t. I told them it didn’t matter about the time, I just wanted them to finish,” she said. 

Not only did the women stay the course, they participated in a 5K run. After competing in the 5K run, the women were honored with a semi-formal dinner at Weidmann’s Restaurant. In addition to a slide presentation documenting their journeys – and successes – the evening included a grand prize giveaway (a basket that included an iPod, running paraphernalia and other items).

Since then, several running groups have formed and members from each of the groups come together several times a year to support community events and hold marathons to benefit local organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Club of East Mississippi.

While those who proudly wear the Divas on the Run title credit Brown to their success at becoming healthier and more active, she attributes it to each of the women.

“You possess all the tools. All you need is someone to encourage and motivate you,” Brown said.