Every June, we celebrate both cows and farmers with Dairy Month. Those of us who like to put some miles under our feet also celebrate Global Running Day on June 5.
I didn’t really begin running seriously until my senior year of college, but since then I’ve tackled some pretty big races, including the Boston Marathon in 2011 – after which I swore I’d never run another marathon.
But earlier this year, some members of the running crew I meet up with every Tuesday shared some posts on social media about the Every Woman’s Marathon, set to take place Nov. 16 in Savannah, GA. They wanted me to register too, and I was on the fence about it until I saw the race was being sponsored by Team Milk. As editor of Country Folks, it was clearly something I’d have to do.
Team Milk started supporting women in marathons across the U.S. in 2023. They sponsored women at the Denver, Chicago and New York City marathons throughout their pre-race, during and post-race journeys. (This includes a cheer squad, armed with cowbells, between miles 20 and 24 for some late-race encouragement.) You can join the team at gonnaneedmilk.com/26.2.
Now they have their own 26.2-mile event. For the Every Woman’s Marathon, Team Milk is providing runners with training and nutrition guides and encouragement.
Editor Courtney Llewellyn is looking for other dairy-fueled runners to join her on Team Country Folks for the Every Woman’s Marathon this November in Georgia.
We all know that dairy milk is a great training beverage. Its 13 essential nutrients help provide sustained energy and hydration to fuel runs and repair and rebuild muscles post-run. Milk hydrates better than water, helps you stay active longer, builds stronger muscles and even aids in muscle recovery.
I tend to rehydrate like a champion: “Chocolate milk after a long run or hard session is a great way to kickstart recovery,” said Des Linden, who in 2018 won the Boston Marathon, becoming the first American in 33 years to win the women’s category in the event. (Speaking from experience, cold chocolate milk after a long run hits the spot perfectly.)
Team Milk is powered by MilkPEP (the Milk Processor Education Program), which has a goal of increasing dairy milk awareness and driving milk consumption to benefit all processors and the entire industry. They use national marketing programs, research and insights and resources and guidance to help farmers connect with consumers.
MilkPEP came from a 1990 Act of Congress to increase dairy milk consumption through category-level consumer marketing. Remember their “legendairy” Got Milk? campaign? Learn more at milkpep.org.
I provide all this background to say this: I’m captaining a Team Country Folks for the Every Woman’s Marathon. If you’re a runner who is also wholeheartedly on Team Milk, I’ll cover your registration fee (up to four runners).
As I’m looking at my training schedule through these hot summer months, I know I’ll have high-quality milk to cool me down and help me prepare for my next lengthy jaunt. Happy Dairy Month! And if you’re interested in running in Savannah with me this autumn, email me at cllewellyn@leepub.com.
by Courtney Llewellyn
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