IART Launch! Intl. Association of Running Therapists- North America

 

New IART Landing Page Resources

This blog and podcast started with the desire to share the joy, culture and holistic wellness benefits of run-walk-run, and grew immensely as I interviewed individuals pioneering running (as) therapy across the globe. So many of us maintain our mental and physical health in part by running, and have gotten through difficult times by leaning into our run-walk routine and community. As I have sought to understand this more deeply over the past decade, I found a great deal of hope and healing. Now, in 2026 I am excited to share about the renewed International Association of Running Therapists (in USA/Canada)! It is a network which exists to share the therapeutic value of movement and advance running-based therapy as a safe, ethical, and evidence-informed approach to mental health and embodied well-being. Building on the pioneering work of Thaddeus Kostrubala, who founded the first iteration of IART in the 1980s helping to establish training and practice guidelines, we are committed to honoring that legacy while updating it with today's more diverse run/walk therapy methods and stay relevant for today’s runners, coaches, and clinicians. As a network rather than a governing body, I hope that IART today will share best practices, support training opportunities for certification, and help connect people with qualified running therapists across North America and beyond.

For me, this work feels especially meaningful because it brings together many of the threads that have shaped my own journey, from coaching to school counseling to recovery work, and finally training as a logotherapist and running therapist. Through the this project, I have had the privilege of listening to and learning from expert running therapists, therapists-in-training, coaches, and allied health practitioners who use movement as part of healing, growth, and connection. Since the pandemic and growing mental health concerns, those conversations have taken on even greater importance. In a time when many people were feeling isolated, uncertain, and cut off from normal routines, running and walking remained powerful ways to stay grounded, stay connected, and keep moving forward.

The idea of IART is both practical and hopeful, and very much "in the process of becoming". It can provide community, mentorship, and continuing education for therapists/psychologists and other professional practitioners who use running and walking as part of their work, while also promoting safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive care for diverse populations. Some goals are to develop resources, support research and outcome tracking, and strengthen the evidence base for run/walk-based therapy as a structured, clinically grounded practice. Just as importantly I believe is to increase public awareness of running therapy as an accessible path to improved mental health, holistic wellness, resilience amid adversity, and quality of life across the lifespan.

One of the things that has most inspired me is how many different forms this work can take. Some practitioners bring running therapy into one-on-one clinical settings, while others use it in youth programs, group settings, or recovery-oriented residential work. Some focus on trauma, grief, or anxiety; others emphasize belonging, confidence, and self-regulation. Some (like Dynamic Running Therapy) focus on mindfulness personally accessible through movement, with just a bit of guidance. What unites them is a shared belief that movement can be therapeutic in a deep and embodied way, and that the body has a role to play in healing that is often underestimated. Over time, these interviews and relationships have helped me see running therapy not just as a technique, but as a field with history, depth, and a living community behind it.

That sense of community is one of the reasons re-imagining IART has felt so important. The goal is not only to preserve the history of the field, but also to make its present and future more visible. We want the network to start small, grow organically and be easy to understand. We want people to find a place where the field’s traditions are respected, where professional standards are taken seriously, and where collaboration is encouraged across disciplines and countries. In that sense, the new landing page is more than a digital update — it is a doorway into a wider conversation about how running therapy can continue to evolve.

IART also reflects a broader belief that movement should be both accessible and intentional. Running and walking are familiar human practices rooted in all human cultures, but when they are used thoughtfully within a framework, they can become much more than exercise. They can support regulation, reflection, endurance, confidence, and connection. They can also offer a dignified and culturally responsive way to meet people where they are, and move together towards healing. That is why our North American network matters so much to me: it helps create a bridge between individual practice, shared resources, and a larger field of learning and exchange.

We are very fortunate to have such a rich group of guiding members and international consultant members who bring a wide range of experience to this effort, and history. Their work reflects the diversity of the field and the strength that comes from collaboration. Across the network, there is a deep commitment to training, ethical practice, research, mentorship, and public education. That commitment gives the project both structure and momentum, while also leaving room for the kind of creativity that this field requires.

At the center of all of this is deep gratitude; Gratitude for having found such people and the ability to work together. Gratitude for the pioneers who helped establish the field. Gratitude for the practitioners and researchers who have kept it alive and relevant in lean times. Gratitude for the conversations, interviews, and relationships that have helped shape my own understanding over the past five years. And gratitude for the chance to help build something that feels both rooted and forward-looking. This launch is not an endpoint; it is a beginning, and I am excited to see how the IART network will continue to grow as more people discover it, contribute to it, and help carry it forward!