Mid strike magazine over the years!!!
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- December 7, 2022
with Jesse Specs Spellman
Here we are, wrapping out another end of the year issue of Mid Strike Magazine, our 3rd December issue as we've hit our 2 1/2-year mark. When we launched Mid Strike never would I have thought we would be as consistent, as heartfelt, and so inspiring to runners in our communities. We've created a lane for everyday runners to share their stories, their lives and most of all their why with us and in doing so we've created a safe space for our voices to be heard and represented the right way. As a Black runner before Mid Strike Magazine launched one of the struggles for me early on was reading publications that I could not relate to from both a physical and mental standpoint. I wanted to see runners that I could relate to, runners who felt and understood my/our struggles in the running communities. We wanted to make sure to tell stories that everyday runners could relate to insert Mid Strike Magazine.
Our goal for Mid Strike Magazine was for it not to be a local digital magazine, we wanted this to be an international publication that runners near and far could relate to, runners near and far could be inspired by and most of all allow us, people of color and the diverse running community to have something to call our own. Mid Strike Magazine isn’t something that belongs to me as the founder our contributors, it belongs to you, the runners the readers, it is our safe space, and it is our job to keep it that way. Over the years I’ve always been asked what some of my favorite articles have been, this month we’ll highlight a few of them.
Issue #6 Deborah Taylor / Project Run
This was our first international feature back in January 2021. We had a short list of runners that we wanted to speak with when we launched Mid Strike Magazine, Deborah was on this list. It was also a challenge to our team to be willing to extend ourselves and our reach for the Magazine and we felt that Deborah, her personality, and drive for what she and her team PRJCT Run was and is currently doing in Sau Paulo is beyond amazing. Since then, Deborah has continued to lay the groundwork for generational change in her city. This feature was one of our favorites and still is to this day as it inspired so many at the time of its release.
PRJCT-RUN – "The city, the people and its connection. Gray city, city colored by graffiti. Streets, corners and slopes. None of this prevents us from knowing every detail of this city and doing what we love the most: the street race! Running without time, without haste, as day-to-day running is what unites this city and people".
Also Issue #6 Gerardo Rodriguez/Team Wepa
“We all need a seat at the table”. Gerardo Rodriguez Captain of Team Wepa Queens NY couldn’t have said it any better. I personally am a big fan of people who are sincerely genuine to their passion, their people, and their communities and Captain Gerardo aka Oso Blanco is just that. Team Wepa has grown to be one of the most noticeable clubs in the NYC area representing the running community OUTSIDE of Central Park which is what the real New York City running community is about their crew is one of the most welcoming running families you'll ever come across and they'll make sure that you feel welcomed, inspired while most importantly give you that safe space to simply be you while running. If your ever in Queens stop over on the Bully (IYKYK) known as Queen Boulevard starting at All The Right on Corona Ave.
“My objective has always been to INSPIRE those runners that felt they didn’t belong, inspire those that were afraid or felt like outcasts. It’s always been about creating a community in Queens. I Wanted Queens runners to know that they didn’t have to travel outside of the borough to get some miles in and find some dope vibes”.
Gerardo
Gary Corbitt / August 2021
Now we can’t talk about some of our favorites without talking about one of the most important articles we’ve ever written. In our August 2021 issue we had the pleasure of speaking to Mr. Gary Corbitt. Yes, you’ve read that last name correctly. Gary Corbitt is the son of the great Ted Corbitt who is known as the father of distance runner and founding president of New York Road Runners.
