John,

Next Sunday, more than 50,000 runners will take to the streets of New York for a 26.2-mile journey as a part of the TCS New York City Marathon. 

For a lot of participants, the marathon can serve as a symbol of resilience, hope, and deep personal journey. This year, Vanessa Potkin, the Innocence Project’s director of special litigation, and paralegals Brenda Cachay Gutiérrez and Kanani Schnider will run in the hopes of spotlighting their clients’ long and unjust wrongful incarceration.

Take a moment to read more about the clients that Innocence Project staff members are running to support in the marathon.

On Apr. 7, 1998 in New York, Jabar Walker was sentenced to 50 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Since his conviction nearly 26 years ago, he’s been fighting to prove his innocence, hoping to return home to his family — and, most of all, his mother and two daughters.

“During a recent [prison] visit, Mr. Walker shared one of the ways in which he escapes the realities of prison: Every day that he can or is able to, he retreats to the small, outdoor space adjacent to his cell and runs back and forth, imagining a future in which he is, once again, free,” Brenda said.

Together, Jabar and Brenda set a goal of running a race together when he is finally freed. She’ll run this year’s marathon for Jabar, but she hopes her next race will be with him.

Similarly, Kanani is running the marathon in support of Rodney Reed, who has maintained his innocence on death row for more than 25 years for a murder in Bastrop, Texas. “Mr. Reed remains in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day on death row in Texas. Per his request, I will be running in a “FREE RODNEY REED” shirt in hopes that people will read about  his story and support his fight,” she said. 

Please, learn more about the Innocence Project marathon runners, why they’re running, and how you can support them in reaching their fundraising goals for the race. 

With gratitude,

— The Innocence Project Team

P.S. Support the runners’ campaigns for the Innocence Project here and here.