Editor’s Note: Alex Gold started a running program at a medium-security prison in Lebanon, Ohio, north of Cincinnati. The purpose of the program is to give incarcerated people the opportunity—through supporting their running goals—to prove to their families, communities, future employers, and themselves that they are capable of doing great things.
The program is called the “Ohio to Erie Club” (named after a 326-mile route from Cincinnati north to Cleveland/Lake Erie). Once runners complete the 326 miles (which equates to 815 laps of the prison yard), they get to raise money with our help for a charity of their choice.
One of the Club’s members is Jamie McLaughlin, or “Clutch.” Clutch was the first person to complete the Ohio to Erie Challenge, and the group has since had one other who finished in 2022. Clutch wrote the following story about his experience as an incarcerated person, about getting into running for the first time, and spreading his love for running to hundreds of runners within the prison. Though the author cannot accept payment for this published work, Outside Run will donate…
