MilkPEP Creates Marathon for Women, Aided by Amanda Gorman

Historically, long-distance races have been male-dominated, but MilkPEP is looking to close that gap with Every Woman’s Marathon, a 26.2-mile women’s only event scheduled for Nov. 16 in Savannah, Ga. The initiative is part of milk’s repositioning as a performance drink.

Poet Amanda Gorman crafted an inspirational CTA, heard in a 45-second video from GALE. “To be a woman means to be everything for everyone all at once but when we run, that’s for us,” says Gorman.

“We knew we wanted to inspire. Amanda Gorman was the first person to come to mind,” says Karen Starc, creative director at GALE. “She is a highly acclaimed writer and a prominent voice of her generation, so we knew her words would be epic. Not to mention, she is a runner and loves lactose-free milk. The video shows women that we know what running means to them. It’s hard and messy and finding the time to do it is almost impossible, but when we do, it’s like nothing else.”

“Participants will be able to choose one of five charities to support with their run, including 261 Fearless, Girls on the Run, Black Girls Run!, Girl Scouts, and St. Jude’s,” Starc tells Muse. “We’ll be working with women-forward brand partners, hosting an entire wellness weekend with a family-friendly design that will have pods for nursing, pumping and changing diapers and designated play areas for kids during the race.”

The race for women runners of all abilities costs $65 to enter. The advisory board for the marathon consists of running greats Kathrine Switzer, Danielle McLaughlin, Deena Kastor, Alison Desir and Des Linden.