03/27/2026
THE Mae Day 2k is a Memorial Run for Mae Meads. She died, unexpectedly, in 2024 from heart tumors. She was 2 years old. She was my daughter. The only granddaughter in our Brood of Boys.
The condition that murdered her is exceedingly rare and the first warning sign is sudden cardiac death. This memorial run is a way for me to carry my daughter forward. It is my way of ensuring she is never forgotten.
This run is a nod to our family tradition of 5k running. Mae LOVED our weekly races. We usually came in at the back of the pack, but we ran anyway for the vibes and community connection. It's hard to be a jerk when you're riding a runner's high, ya know?
Mae ADORED meeting new ppl and gorging herself on the snacks provided for the ravenous runners. For her last run, the Saturday before her death, the Watermelon Run in Monticello, she ate her weight in juicy, sweet watermelon slices. It was a beautiful day.
THE Mae Day 2k is a nod to her love of the sport and the community connections that running inspires.
This is the 2nd year of this memorial run. Because my daughter would expect nothing less, there will be shenanigans at this event.
The run meets at Tom Brown Park by the Blue Playground. It begins at 9am and is a 2k out and back course on a paved trail in the park.
It's a 2k run bc Mae was 2 when she died. 2's are a big theme in her life. She was my 2nd child, born in the year 2022, when she died, she was 2 years, 1 month and 2 weeks old. She died at 2211(1+1=2) on June 22nd, 2024. So, 2's are a thing.
This event is free to attend. There is no race fee or anything. This event is not timed, nor chipped. This event is about community and remembrance of those who aren't here anymore, but who we love fiercely just the same.
There are Mae Day 2k Memorial shirts that you can purchase. They are $25/ea for any size. It is not necessary AT ALL to snag a shirt. Mae is just happy you stopped by to hang out! However! Who wouldn't want to rock this ICON in performance tee form?
The theme of her memorial event will forever be:
She Will Go Where We Go
As Mae lay dying, I promised her 2 things (that 2 again): that we would be OK and that she would have a BIG life. Maybe not the way I had envisioned, but a BIG life in a new and beautiful way.
The idea behind her tees is that, when you wear her shirt, you are taking Mae with you wherever you're going. Mae is there in some small, infintessimal, immortally precious way. So far, Mae has been all over FL and on a roadtrip to Maryland (and, thus, every state that was driven through), she's been to Virginia and has swam in the ocean in Colombia. She's having a BIG life. So, if you wanna snag a shirt and take Mae along with you in your travels, just DM me. Money for these iconic gems has to be received by April 3rd (4/3/26) to ensure we'll have the shirts in time for race day.
Anywho! Her brother and I would be so honored if you guys came out on May 3rd to huff, puff, and party with us. To remember with us. To help us carry her forward.
Mae did not live a long time. Her life was tragically short and snatched away, but Mae had a GOOD life. She was loved and adored and protected and the smallest firecracker in a brood of nothing but boys...and she ruled them all. Her legacy will be just as fantastical as her life was. We have chosen to see the value of her life, not in years lived, but in impact left behind. And Mae did THAT in spades.
