Our Story
Reason to Run is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a culture of hope, connection, and community for women in correctional facilities. This is accomplished through a multifaceted training program that supports and motivates both new and experienced runners.
Our running program at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF) in Wilsonville, Oregon began in 2015. The program includes weekly outdoor group training sessions open to all participants, along with personal mid-week training goals and reflective running journals.
While the primary focus of the running program is physical fitness, participants are also encouraged to explore how running positively impacts mental health, goal setting, and accountability. All participants are encouraged to support and assist other group members to reach their goals.
Our Founder
Trisha Swanson, Founder of Reason to Run, has been a dedicated runner for over 20 years and is a certified running coach through the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA). In 2007, Trisha began volunteering for Oregon Women's Prison Ministry, a Christian organization that provides weekly church services for the ladies at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF).
Over time, a few inmates discovered Trisha was a runner and expressed interest in running themselves. So in 2011, Trisha approached the CCCF administration about putting on a run event/race at the prison. As a result, Race for the Cure Inside was born.
In 2014, the CCCF administration asked Trisha if she had interest in creating a running program for their inmates. The run program has grown to include three training groups and two facility-wide races. This passion led to the official creation of Reason to Run in 2015.
