RICHMOND, Va. -- While most racers in last month's Run Richmond 16.19 race likely crossed the finish line just once, one 11-year-old did so several times over to encourage others to finish strong and, according to organizers, embodied the spirit of the race.
Benji McGowen, 11, said he had just started running this year with his middle school's cross country team in Charlottesville and has down a handful of races.
"It's pretty fun," he said.
His mother, Rachael McGowen, is also a runner and ran in last year's inaugural race.
"I loved it. It was such a well-organized event and interesting and wonderful and had, like, a cause beyond just running for running sake," she said.
The race celebrates 400 years of Black history in the United States and takes racers through some of the city's historically Black neighborhoods and is hosted by the Djimon Hounsou Foundation along with the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia and Sports Backers.
When it returned this year, Benji signed up to run with his mom in the shorter 6.19 KM race (it was initially supposed to be with his dad, but COVID-19 led to a change in plans).
"He ran the whole thing," said Rachael. "He did stop to have a sip of water like twice. So, he will tell you that he did not run the whole thing."
Benji said his legs started to feel like jelly about three-quarters into the race (which was about a mile longer than anything he had run before), but powered through.
"Because I didn't want to stop," said Benji. "Because I thought it'd be cool if I can finish the race."
Once the mother-son pair finished the race, Rachael took Benji to the side of the finish to cheer on other runners.
"I always like to stay and cheer for a while," said Rachael. "I love to cheer for people running. And so we lined up, got a little snack…and started cheering for people. I did not expect what happened next."
What happened next was they saw another group of Charlottesville runners who they knew from the Black-led "Prolyfyck Run Creww", including co-founder James "Littlez" Dowell. Dowell, who had already run the longer 16.19 KM race was back on the course running with some of his club members to the finish line.
Dowell said the group, whose name was inspired by the opening line of Nipsey Hussle's "Victory Lap", started this tradition during the pandemic when races were staggered and people would run designated courses by themselves.
"We just would show up and cheer on our runners and then cheer on every other runner there was. We just took that and continued to embody that," said Dowell. "So then when the races started being official and in-person, we will still in go do the same thing. Now we call it the support crew that ends up running 20 to 25 miles every marathon weekend that we go to because they're not about to leave those people out there, let those people out there struggle with and fend for themselves, by themselves."
Dowell said the mission of the group is to uplift marginalized communities through running.
"But, it has always been bigger than running and we've always done more than just run," said Dowell, who added the group's regular training route takes them through historically Black and brown neighborhoods in Charlottesville.
Dowell said the race tradition is similar to the last hill of the club's normal training route, called the "Cold Shower", where everyone cheers everyone else to the finish.
"It's a collective and it's doing it together and togetherness. And we've always embodied that and expressed that."
Rachael said the group ran her through the finish in last year's race and she told Benji about it. When he saw them do it in person, he wanted to join in.
"I stood there for, like, five or 10 minutes and then I saw 'Littlez' running people in and I decided that that would be fun," said Benji.
"I just started cheering on the runners. And then one of my good friends, Kat, she came running in and I ran her in. And by the time I came back, Benji was already on a course. And I was like, 'What is he doing?'," recalled Dowell. "He kept going back and forth. And I was like, 'How long is he going to do this?'"
Dowell said Benji actually ran people in for longer than he did and, in the end, ran with others for over an hour and ran in between 30-35 runners.
"It's just fun helping people finish stuff," said Benji. "A couple of people even started sprinting."
Benji said he and his mom figured out he ran nearly an extra mile by doing this.
For Dowell, he said it feels amazing to see a younger generation pick up on the idea.
"The work is working. You know, like I said, we push to uplift and inspire. So to see kids pick up on what we're doing means that not only is it working, but it's inspiring," said Dowell. "You see an 11-year-old pickup and run an extra mile and some change to run folks in, it's a testament that why you do what you do is working."
For Rachael, seeing what her son did, while unexpected, was fun to watch.
"It was totally beautiful and it was also totally Benji. He's found a thing he loves and he was really excited to connect with people in that way…he had a big smile on his face. People had big smiles on their faces. It was just, like, a beautiful moment when you see your kid make a great choice and enjoy it," said Rachael.
The organizers of the race added their own praise.
"11 year-young Benji set a beautiful example running side by side with other runners crossing the finish line and cheering them on long after he had reached the finish himself," organizers told CBS 6. "Doing so, he perfectly embodied our goal for Run Richmond 16.19 to strengthen community bonds and celebrate unity in diversity. We salute your spirit. Way to go, Benji!"
In the short term, Benji said he hopes to get to run with Dowell's group in their regular training sessions and to run longer races in a year or two.
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