Miles for Midwives 5k Run/Walk

The United States has a maternal health crisis. More women are dying in labor and childbirth here than in any other developed country in the world, and we are the only country that continues to get worse in terms of maternal mortality year after year. Organizations like Every Mother Counts and the California Nurse Midwives Association are just a couple examples of organizations that are working to change that. All proceeds from this 5K race will go to benefit these two organizations. Read below to see exactly where your registrant fees will be going and what they will be doing to benefit expecting mothers and their families.

Race Details:

$40.00 Registration Fee – Once your registration fee is paid you will receive your 5k t-shirt and your runners bib in the mail. All proceeds go to Every Mother Counts and the California Nurse Midwives Association (read all about how your funds will be used to improve maternal health below)

All Virtual – Your t-shirt and bib will be delivered to you in the mail. Times will be tracked and recorded or submitted from a distance. Pictures submissions are encouraged and will be circulated across social media accounts and platforms to shine a light on our runners the way we would if it were done in-person.

Run or Walk - Not a runner? No stress! Do the 3.1 miles at your own pace.

Complete your race anytime between February 8th and February 22nd – You will have a whole two weeks to complete your race using the Strava app to track your run. Doing the race for fun and you don’t want to download the app? That’s fine too! Submit your time and pictures unofficially, and you can still be featured on our social media page.

Designation of Funds:

80% of proceeds will be donated to the California Nurse Midwives Association

20% of proceeds will be donated to Every Mother Counts

Every Mother Counts is an organization that is working to achieve quality, respectful, and equitable maternal care for all. They do this by:

·         Increasing awareness – The use of storytelling, filmmaking, data and research to share challenges and opportunities concerning maternal health.

·         Mobilizing Communities – EMC works to inspire individuals within their communities to make changes. They develop strategies to fix community specific problems.

·         Grant Giving – Monetary support of community-based programs with the goal of increasing access to essential resources.

These proceeds that go to the Every Mother Counts will be used in ways that the organization deems the most necessary for the current maternal health climate.

The California Nurse Midwives Association (CNMA) advocates for birthing people and the midwifery profession. They aim to increase access to midwifery care, improve maternal-child health care outcomes with a specific focus on reducing racism-based disparities, and to advance sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Because we are working closely with the California Nurse Midwives Association to improve certain specific areas of concern that exist in the maternal health system, we can tell you exactly where your fees or donations to this race will be going and what they will be doing to improve maternal health!

·         Grants – Many women lack access to high quality, equitable care. For example, 50% of counties in the United States lack even a single Obstetrician servicing that county. This leaves many women who live in rural counties vulnerable without easily accessible obstetrical care. One safe option for these folks who show few or no risk factors would be to receive care through a birth center staffed by Nurse Midwives and other medical and non-medical personnel. With the passing of a new bill, spearheaded by the CNMA, Nurse Midwives will now have more autonomy and can venture to rural areas that are notoriously underserved, set up shop, and provide high-quality healthcare that would otherwise be absent. As you can imagine, this will SAVE LIVES! This is why the CNMA plans to provide grants and funding to help midwives plant birth centers in strategic locations.

·         Midwifery Mentorship – Black and minority women in the United States are 3-4 times as likely to die on average in childbirth as white women. In some parts of the country these parents can be up to 6 times as likely to die. We know that racial bias and a lack of diversity among healthcare providers is part of the problem. This is why part of the solution to this problem is to create a healthcare workforce that mirrors the population it serves. UCSF’s Midwifery Mentorship and Belonging program supports POC midwives throughout their journey in midwifery school to encourage success and competency that will later translate into more equitable care for all.

By supporting Midwives we support mothers! Everybody and their mother is doing it! Sign up to run (or walk) our Miles for Midwives 5k race today!