Hub Miles for Mental Health

The PHILIPSTOWN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HUB https://www.philipstownhub.org is participating in Mental Health Awareness Month by gathering Philipstown residents and friends (near and far) for the 5th annual Hub Miles for Mental Health. This event was started in the Spring of 2020 as a way to grow community virtually, and the community has strengthened each year since. Whether you live in Philipstown or on the other side of the world, you can support the Philipstown Behavioral Health Hub by committing to walking, running, biking or hiking during the month of May. You can do this alone or with family and friends. We have a very active and encouraging Facebook group specifically for this event with prizes and mental health tips throughout the month. We find ourselves looking forward to this event every year because MENTAL HEALTH IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT!

Last year the Marathon for Mental Health was a huge success and through the hard work, sweat, and generosity of our community members, we were able to raise over $11,000 to directly provide mental health and addiction resources to the residents of Philipstown, NY. Your participation in this virtual event in 2024 will help the Hub work towards meeting the needs of our community while also encouraging you to move your body each day!

You can register as an individual participant or a family unit (Please note, if registering as a family, only one member of the family needs to list their name with registration.). You can also gather some of your friends to form your own team! (Teams are purely for fun and don't affect individual results.)

Several studies have shown that running can improve mental health by decreasing symptoms of depression, alleviating anxiety, enhancing sleep, and increasing creativity. Studies also suggest that running can help curb drug and alcohol cravings https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2011/03/04/exercise-can-curb-marijuana-use-and-cravings and mitigate brain damage from substance abuse https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21953518. By committing to moving your body once a day throughout the month of May you are committing to investing in your mental health.

The goal of this event is to regularly walk, run, bike, or hike during the month of May. Just like with mental health, not every day will go as planned. It's okay if you miss a day of running/walking, just pick up where you left off the next day!

All participants will be entered in weekly drawings for gift cards to local Philipstown businesses.

A private Facebook group will be available for all Hub Miles for Mental Health participants to connect, encourage, and support each other throughout this event. You can help reduce the shame and stigma associated with mental health and substance misuse by taking a post-run picture each week and posting it to social media tagging the Philipstown Behavioral Health Hub and using #HubMilesforMentalHealth. Prizes and recognition will be given to race participants at random who post a picture tagging the Philipstown Behavioral Health Hub and using #HubMilesforMentalHealth.

BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE. PLEASE EMAIL [email protected] TO LEARN MORE!