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Missoula Marathon runner to share stories of diversity in running

Alison Désir, the author of ‘Running While Black’ and co-founder of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition, will meet and inspire runners this year
Alison Désir
Posted at 10:41 AM, Jun 07, 2024

MISSOULA — Thousands of athletes will soon be coming to Missoula to run the marathon.

The sport of running is becoming more diverse each year, and a special guest of the Missoula Marathon is one of the reasons why.

Alison Désir will meet and inspire runners at the Runner’s Expo this year. She is the author of ‘Running While Black’ and co-founder of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition.

Désir started running 12 years ago after seeing a black friend train and complete a marathon. Now, she uses events like the Missoula Marathon to spark conversations about how to make running more diverse.

“We have to be brave enough to meet people who see the world in a different way, and have that confrontation so that we can have deeper and more fulfilling relationships,” Désir told MTN. “Show us a good time Missoula, and I can’t wait to be there.”

You can meet Désir at the Runner’s Expo on Friday June 28 and Saturday June 29. Désir will also be running the marathon, so cheer extra loud when they run by!

KPAX will be live at the finish line and will have reports along the route on Sunday, June 30 with coverage beginning at 8 a.m. on MTN and streaming.