RISING HEARTS - NYC MARATHON 2025

Stay tuned to this page for updates, tentative schedule of events and fundraising opportunities!

Rising Hearts is committed to helping the running and outdoor spaces a more safe, supportive, diverse, inclusive, accessible and equitable space, not just for Indigenous runners, but for everyone who enjoys movement and who wants to see themselves in these spaces!

That’s why, we are happy to announce our partnership with New York Road Runners (NYRR) - a journey and path we are excited to be on and 2 entries we are excited to have and train for!

Stay tuned for more announcements, fundraisers and content via our newsletters, blogs and socials!

Tentative Schedule of Events:
+ TBD

+ 11/1: 4pm Parade of Nations | Opening Ceremonies for NYC Marathon
Location: Entrance: Central Park West at 63rd Street
4:30pm: Start
6:30pm: Fireworks

Cheryl Mora Robison (Diné)
Cheryl Mora Robison, Diné, was raised outside of Washington, D.C. and identifies as an URBAN INDIAN. An only child, she spent a lot of time with her Navajo grandmother and Pima grandfather who taught her to be proud of her heritage and to fight for equality. She earned a master’s degree in Sociology and worked as an advocate and social worker for almost 20 years before leaving her career to focus on her family’s small business. Cheryl mindfully bears the weight of her own trauma history and the generational trauma of her ancestors. She runs because it is one of the few things that makes her feel truly free.

+ What brought you to running? I played soccer for most of my childhood and started running regularly in high school as part of conditioning during the off-season. I would run around my neighborhood listening to a WU-TANG tape that my cousin forgot at my house and quickly fell in love with how running made me feel. Listening to music and going for a run calmed my nervous system and quieted my mind in a way that nothing else did. As a rowdy young adult, I would sometimes lose touch with running for months at a time but I would always come back to it whenever I sensed that I needed to. Even when running was difficult, I was drawn to it. I liked the challenge. 

 
+ What was it like running the Detroit Marathon? Training for and running the Detroit Marathon was a sacred experience. I feel incredibly lucky to have shared that experience with a diverse group of BIPOC women all running our first marathon together. We were scared together, excited together, humbled together, and proud together. None of us knew what we were doing but we got to be brave together and face the challenge - each in our own way. The marathon itself was tough... I ran strong for the first 18 miles and then hit a wall. My shoes had betrayed me and my feet were in a lot of pain for those last 8 miles. But I got through it and crossed that finish line! I didn't want a stupid banana or a tin-foil blanket. I wanted that damn medal!

Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone (Sičangu Lakota)
Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone, Lakota, is a fourth generation runner, athlete advocate, community organizer, project manager, filmmaker, founder of Rising Hearts since 2017, and a mom to a 3.5 yo and 1.5 yo twin girls. Since the 2019 Boston Marathon, she uses her platform to help raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives, for their families, survivors and advocates. Through Rising Hearts, we have helped raise over $100,000 to help give back to MMIP organizations, families and advocates through our annual Running For Justice movement events, shirts, and webinars we’ve held.

Jordan is committed to helping make the running and community spaces a more equitable, safe, visible, supportive, diverse, inclusive, affordable and accessible place for people today and the next generations through movement, meaningful storytelling, community building and collaborations, and effective partnerships.

Want to Help Us Get There And Support The Heart Work?
If you’d like to help support our efforts financially, consider making a taxable donation below to Rising Hearts.

NYC MARATHON - RISING HEARTS FUNDRAISER

Help support Indigenous runners participating in this year's 2025 New York City Marathon on November 2nd! Collectively, they hope to raise $5,000 to support the heart work of Rising Hearts! Cheryl Robison is Diné, raised outside of Washington, D.C. and identifies as an urban Indian. An only child, she spent a lot of time with her Navajo grandmother and Pima grandfather who taught her to be proud of her heritage and to fight for equality. She earned a master’s degree in Sociology and worked as an advocate and social worker for almost 20 years before leaving her career to focus on her family’s small business. Cheryl mindfully bears the weight of her own trauma history and the generational trauma of her ancestors. She runs because it is one of the few things that makes her feel truly free. And Jordan Whetstone, Lakota, Athlete Advocate, public speaker, filmmaker, and is the founder and organizer of Rising Hearts that supports the community in providing resources, community connections, and programming bringing community together meaningfully through movement, advocacy, kinship, and storytelling.

MISSION:
Rising Hearts is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to amplifying community voices through kinship, movement advocacy, and storytelling. We empower communities by fostering intersectional collaboration, promoting cultural resilience, joy and creating meaningful change for the next generations. Through our programs, we inspire collective action, elevate Indigenous and community centered narratives, creating safe and supportive spaces, continuously learn and show up how we can, and mobilize support for those in need.

Much of the heart work we prioritize is cultivating kinship with brands, companies and groups, while creating meaningful collaborations with the Rising Hearts athletes, community partners and broader movement community.

FUNDS SUPPORT:
+ Our programs, athlete advocates, speakers, teachers and events
+ Compensation for Programs Coordinator and Executive Director
+ Film projects