The 600-Mile Run for Elephants 🐘
A journey of endurance, devotion, and protection
The Why
There are some journeys you choose and there are others that quietly choose you.
Between the new moon in Taurus on May 16 and the full moon in Taurus on October 26, 2026, I will run 600 miles in support of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, a refuge where elephants who have endured captivity are given the rare and sacred gift of space to heal, autonomy to exist, and the dignity of a life no longer defined by performance. For me, this is a practice of returning to what it means to move with purpose.
The Mission
This initiative exists to:
- Raise funds for the lifelong care of rescued elephants
- Amplify awareness around ethical wildlife stewardship
- Transform endurance into advocacy, one mile at a time
100% of all proceeds will go directly to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.
Check out the EleCam to see the elephants and the habitat for yourself.
The Journey: 600 Miles
- Start: May 16, 2026
- End: October 26, 2026
- Distance: 600 miles
- Format: Accumulated miles across months through solo trail runs, organized community running events, on the treadmill at Orange Theory, and intentional movement.
Each mile is a marker of effort, of awareness, and of quiet solidarity with beings whose lives have required unimaginable resilience.
How to Participate
This is a shared journey! An official campaign fundraising page has been set up through The Elephant Sanctuary and 100% of proceeds go directly to them.
Sponsor a Mile
Choose a mile or more and attach your name, your intention, or someone you love to the journey.
Make a Donation
Contribute a flat amount in support of elephant care and habitat through The Elephant Sanctuary.
Follow + Share
Witness the unfolding. Share the mission. Help expand the circle of awareness.
The Elephants
The elephants supported through this initiative have lived many lives before arriving at sanctuary. Some were performers. Some were confined. Many carry the physical and emotional imprints of those experiences. At The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, they are no longer asked to entertain, respond, or perform.
They are simply allowed to be.
Since 1995, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee has provided home and care to 36 elephants. Currently, there are 12 elephant residents, with space to welcome more. The Sanctuary initially began on 110 acres and has since expanded to encompass multiple separate and protected, diverse habitats, spanning over 3,060 acres.
The Sanctuary is honored to provide lifelong care for elephants. The changing needs of elephants as they age require lifetime care plans. The shared commitment to each elephant’s health and well-being often leads to beneficial collaboration with other elephant facilities and owners.
The Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
A Personal Note
Since I started my journey as a runner at the age of 11, it has been a practice of humility, focus, mental endurance, and where effort strips away distraction and reveals something quieter underneath. This adventure extends that space outward. It is an offering to align movement with meaning, and a reminder that endurance, when paired with intention, can become a form of care.
Join the Movement
If this speaks to something in you like a love for elephants, a respect for endurance running, or a belief that small actions accumulate into meaningful change, I invite you to be part of this.
Closing Reflection
There is a quiet intelligence in the way elephants move through the world
slowly, deliberately, and deeply aware of their surroundings and their relationships.
To run for them is to learn from them and to remember that strength does not always rush. Healing, whether human or elephants, unfolds over distance, through energy, and with focused care.
Following the Nomad Star 