On Sunday, May 8, 2022, after two years as a virtual event, Run Like a Mother returns to Ridgefield in person bringing Mother’s Day joy to thousands of runners and fans! Registration is OPEN and the adrenaline rush is all too real!
Once again proceeds from the race benefit the Noreen L Papa "Mothers: Live Your Life" Fund at the Ridgefield Library. Noreen Papa, an integral part of Run Like a Mother for many years, passed away in 2013 from cancer.
Founded by Megan Searfoss in her hometown of Ridgefield fifteen years ago, Run Like a Mother has become a national sensation with sister races in Washington, California, Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ohio.
Searfoss is the founder of Ridgefield Running Company and Darien Running Company and authored, See Mom Run-Every Mother’s Guide to Getting Fit and Running Her First 5K.
Here, we talk with Searfoss about the humble beginnings of RLAM and find out what fuels this entrepreneur to go the extra mile and what it feels like to cross the finish line.
Wow! Time flies when you’re running! Tell me about how Run Like a Mother began.
In 2007, a group of local women invited friends to join them for a walk or run on Mother’s Day morning, finishing at Steve’s Bagels. The next year about six weeks before Mother’s Day, I realized how wonderful it would be to offer this opportunity to all women on Mother’s Day, allowing for husbands, partners and children to cheer their mom across the finish line. Run Like a Mother introduces running to many women who don’t think of themselves as a runner and shows them that it is the easiest exercise to pick-up and maintain, and can be done at any pace or place.
Did you ever imagine you would take the race to multiple states? Was that your vision?
Very quickly I started to realize the power of the day and the finish line. Run Like a Mother has been held in many states previously, however for the last few years, it has been solely virtual. Run Like a Mother hopes to be back in 2023 with more locations.
More than a decade of Mother’s Day races. What fuels you?
The women who run the race each year and the families that cheer for them. It is truly a magical day. After all these years and hundreds of races that we have attended, Run Like a Mother remains to be the most inspirational.
Any RLAM surprises or stories?
The absence of Run Like a Mother for the past few years has been hard on all of us. We can’t wait to bring it back. In 2021, Run Like a Mother was acquired by Zooma Runs, a women-focused brand that can better manage the national aspect of the races. Run Like a Mother in Ridgefield will always be a local race and have the local flavor that makes it so unique. The Ridgefield Library’s Noreen L. Papa- Mothers Live Your Life program is the beneficiary of the race offering health and wellness services to women.
What can runners expect in 2022?
A race IN REAL LIFE! We are so excited! Runners can expect premium gifts and beautiful flowers at the finish line provided by The Iris Fund. Our incredible sponsors are back this year to provide an athlete’s village and space for finishers and families to celebrate the day. New this year, look for Karla Murtaugh of Compass Realty to have a large CHEER ZONE in front of her new location on Main Street. BMW of Ridgefield will be offering instant Finish times in the park.
We can’t wait!
Thank you to Megan Searfoss for the RLAM smiles and miles! Ridgefield is excited for Mother’s Day 2022!