Run Your Race Pacers promote good mental health

Run Your Race Pacers is a Utah based network of runners that provide pacesetters for half marathons and full marathons across Utah. Their group of 500 different runners currently pace, free of charge, in 15 different events. Typically about 25 to 40 RYR Pacers end up in each event.

Founder Jorge Garcia said, “Initially I started running to support my wife. I had no idea that she was dealing with Body image issues and Body Dysmorhpia and she was using running to control her weight and thoughts. I joined her simply to support what I thought was just the love for running. We started to pace events with another company when we decided we could offer a better family environment if we started our own pacing group. The name Run Your Race came from a 10 K I was running that I trained very hard for. As people passed me by my energy dropped, as did my pace and speed. I found myself repeating a mantra in my head that helped me finish the race feeling great. “Run your Race” From then on we started this pacing team and have dedicated ourselves to help others “Run Their Race.”

As RYR Pacers have grown, they have come to focus on community and have partnered with many local organizations to use running as a vessel for good, healthy living. Garcia said they promote mental health awareness and dealing with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. “There’s a lot we can do locally if we focus on mental health and really helping people balance their lives,” he said.

Garcia said, “We are now joining forces with multiple medical and therapy facilities in the valley to provide access to mental therapy for people in need. We have found that running has been a release for people dealing with anxiety, addictions and depression. We realize that activity is just one way to release. In many cases, runners don’t realize they are replacing one addiction or habit with another. Although not as destructive as drugs, alcohol or pornography, we are trying to help people find balance. This is why we are working with Mountain Peak Recovery to help better serve people of every walk with movement and what may seem perhaps a different or unconventional approach to medicine.”

Partnering with Wasatch.run organizer Joshua Hansen, RYR will be “adopting” 250 acres of property around the beautiful Mountain Peak Mental Health facility to use for daily use running trails, special events and wholesome recreation. “We want this land to be used for healing, therapy and recovery. As perhaps it was intended to be used,” Garcia said.

RYR Pacers have partnered with Addict II Athlete in their mission to “establish and maintain sobriety by promoting lifestyle changes through erasing addiction and replacing it with something of greater value.”

“We take recovering addicts and bring them onto our pacing team and they tell their story while they are running. We put them out to serve in the community,” Garcia said.

RYR also provides personalized training plans. Part of a good coaching is to be able to communicate with your coach on a regular basis. With RYR, can ask questions, work through challenges, get advice about your running goals, gear, race nutrition and strategy. We will help you avoid or deal with physical or mental blocks.

Visit RYRPacers.com or Wasatch.run on Facebook for more information.