LEXINGTON – Melody Mohn doesn’t listen to music when she runs. She keeps her phone at home to be wary of all distractions and focuses on meditative practices as she glides down the streets of Mansfield and Lexington.
Mohn’s been running for 15 years of her life, at first to get back into shape after having five kids, but now she’s found a purpose to keep running.
Mohn’s participated in fundraising marathons for the past year, and this month, she’s going to run 100 miles by the end of July to raise money for St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital.
“This is a big one for me for July,” Mohn said. “100 Miles is a pretty big commitment—that’s 5k every day.”
In October 2020, Mohn started her very first fundraising marathon during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. After making her intentions known on Facebook, over 100 people reached out to her, giving her the names of people they would like her to run for. She ended up raising over $500.
After that successful first fundraiser, Mohn started doing a fundraiser each month. Those events included carrying a flag while running in honor of veterans, running for children of first responders and a fundraiser to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis.
The St. Jude’s 100 Mile Run challenge is personal for Mohn. One of her children was born with a heart condition and required heart surgery. Though her son recovered and is now healthy, Mohn knows she’s only one of the few to see such a miraculous result. She wants to run for the children currently fighting and supporting the parents whose shoes she once filled.
“I’m already committed to it, and the big thing is that accountability. And then, on the bad days that I don’t feel like running, I just remind myself what I’m running for,” Mohn said.
Because Mohn does not allow any distraction during her running, it will allow her those 30 minutes to think about each person she’s running for and why the cause is important.
“I think about what they’re going through and what their families are going through or what they’ve been through, and I just kind of focus on that,” Mohn said. “So even when I don’t feel like running or my knees are sore, my legs are sore and tired and crabby, I just kind of reflect back on that.”
Mohn has a goal to raise $1,000 this month for her fundraiser, though she’s challenged herself to raise more money this year than she did last year. Though in 2020 she didn’t start doing fundraisers in the last three months of the year, she raised $833.
Mohn opens the challenge up to anyone who would like to join her on her 100-mile run, donate or give her the names of children who are currently under emergency medical care.
“Anybody can do it, anybody can run, but to actually be able to turn it into something positive for somebody else is fun,” Mohn said.
