Jeff Armstrong, 45, is one of many Denver locals who needed connection during the chaos of the 2020 pandemic. As a Black man who battled complications from Lupus, he knew health and physical fitness would determine the quality and length of his life.
Regardless of the circumstances of the pandemic, he prodded his family to get outdoors.
“We’re not about to sit around the house and be lazy,” Armstrong said. He started by walking through Park Hill and invited his family to join him on his walks. This led to short runs with his son around the neighborhood.
His curiosity encouraged him to seek out more passageways into the running world. But he was alarmed by the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who had been pursued and killed during a run just months prior.
“The video had been released and it spooked me,” Armstrong said. This compelled him to find a group to run with. “I was getting up and running every morning, and I needed some brothers to run with, so I googled ‘black runners in Colorado,’” Armstrong said.
In search of a Black community that was dedicated to running and fitness, Black Men Run (BMR) rose to the top of his Facebook feed. Armstrong realized the significance of the times. George Floyd had been murdered not long after the Ahmaud Arbery video had been released.
“It was around the time when all the protests were going on and there was a Run for Justice run,” Armstrong said. Motivated by the cause, Armstrong attended the Run for Justice event. It brought eight or nine Black men from around the Denver area to convene in Five Points, at Coffee at the Point. Armstrong felt the security and belonging that he was looking for. Black Men Run piqued his interest, and he has since become an integral member.
“I stayed,” Armstrong said. “Four years now, I’ve been a part [of BMR].”
Armstrong succeeded current Denver City Councilmember Darrell Watson as captain of the BMR Denver chapter. He maintained the steady membership and continued to orchestrate events that could encourage other Black men around the city to get out and run.
BMR’s mission statement shows alarming statistics about the health of Black Americans. “Heart disease is the #1 cause of death for African American males,” its website states. “Among Blacks age 20 and older, 44.4% of men have cardiovascular diseases.” Many members join at the beginning of their fitness journey and use BMR as an outlet to promote health and well-being in their personal lives.
Armstrong became the national captain and international ambassador of BMR and Raheem Sisson, 52, is now the current captain of the Denver chapter. Sisson is a perpetual 5K participant and enjoys trail running on nearby hiking routes. Even so, he is most concerned with the mission and mantras of the BMR community—the well-being and growth within the Black community. BMR was an outlet for him to see “Black men in Black spaces.”
“Running was convenient for all these brothers to get together and be on one page,” Sisson said. “Sometimes you’ll be the only Black person on the route,” McCoy agreed, as he discussed Black Americans who run in solitude.
On Thursday, September 12, BMR met at Whittier Café for a run through the Historic East Side of Denver. The Thursday runners filed in at 6:00 p.m., excited to talk through week updates and family drama. Five of the Denver chapter’s core members made it to the Thursday run, and Sisson greeted each one individually. As they stretched and congregated, Sisson grabbed two-and-a-half-year member Corey Grant.
“Let’s clap it up for our new vice captain, Corey Grant,” Sisson said. The crew celebrated their BMR brother, posed for a group photo, and then took the streets. Sisson led the group into the heart of Five Points and lapped back to Whittier Café from M.L.K. Jr. Boulevard. The collective talked and laughed through their journey and made sure that no man was left behind.
Heaving as they returned to the starting line, the men high-fived and debriefed on how hard or easy each section of the route was. Before dispersing, Sisson pulled the group together and spoke on the personal hardships of one of the BMR members. He then invited all who were willing into prayer and spoke on the unity within their chapter.
A resounding mantra in the foundation of BMR is “brotherhood.” Each member can give a testimony to the impact of joining the BMR running club, and each story mentions brotherhood. “I had no idea of the magnitude of the brotherhood,” said two-year member Joshua Edwards.
Sisson and the crew also participate in “EmpowerMENt Talks.” Founded by DonDre “Don” Harris, EmpowerMENt Talks seek to educate the BMR brothers, provide helpful affirmations, and walk through deep conversations to promote mental health.
This encapsulates the full health of each member, from physical to mental. Sisson highlighted the impact of a unified representation of the black man in America. “I’m from a neighborhood where all you see is brothers are robbing, killing, shooting, and stealing from each other,” Sisson said. The “EmpowerMENt Sessions” are aimed at reforming that image.
Sisson and Armstrong believed it was important to lead their running club through the lens of practical fellowship and a stable sense of camaraderie. An issue that both members encountered was being able to find like-minded people in their area. BMR became the solution and provided an outlet to maintain their connections to others.
BMR continues to meet every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at City Park and will meet on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. to run through Five Points. They meet from various locations, such as Whittier Café and Coffee at the Point and have built themselves as a staple in the Denver running community.
On September 28th, BMR will be hosting their annual Brain Tumor 5k Run/Walk in support of Jeff and Zhivonne Armstrong. Those interested can learn more through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and an app called Heylo.
“Running is just the tool that brings us together; it’s about family,” Sisson said. “This is the culture of BMR nationally and internationally. All the chapters and brothers have bought into the bigger picture of Black Men Run. Brotherhood is rooted deeper than the China Sea.”
Correction: This story was updated on 9/21 at 10 a.m. DonDre “Don” Harris is the founder of EmpowerMENt Sessions rather than Raheem Sisson.
