About Project Outrun

We run for the cause

Our story begins with an idea, a text message, and a pair of shoes.

The Beginning

From the words of Andrew (Andy) Shepperd, founder of Project Outrun:

Every story has a beginning, every race has a start. The story of Project Outrun began with a little girl named Kylie Rose Jacobs. Kylie is a little girl who has battled cancer now on three separate occasions. In the summer of 2015, I was fortunate enough to run in her 5k event in Copley, Ohio. During that race, her cancer was in remission and her prognosis was good.

Unfortunately, the cancer returned the following year. On the second anniversary of her 5k race, she was once again in remission and her prognosis was good.

As I watched that strong, radiant ball of life run around the Copley High School track, the thought popped in my head… “If Kylie has a 5k in her honor, she clearly needs shoes to match her logo,” which Kylie designed herself. So, I made a mental note that for her 2017 5k race, I was going to design her shoes to match her logo that she could wear when she ran her race cancer-free.

Around Christmas time in 2016, they once again discovered a mass and the cycle of surgery and treatment would soon return. The day I heard the news, I knew that her shoes needed to be made immediately. After Kylie had a successful surgery over the Christmas holiday, I sent her dad a picture of her shoes next to her logo and simply said, “When Kylie Outruns cancer, she has to be wearing the right shoes.”

That was the moment this idea began. An idea of empowering kids through shoes. Dream shoes. Power shoes. Custom shoes. Shoes with the kids’ favorite colors and their messages. Whatever they need to lace up everyday and Outrun fear or sickness or doubt and to get them back on their feet. Shoes to make them feel: “I’m not sick but my shoes are!” & “I’m too quick to be sick!”.

The First Text

The Response

Ready to get involved?

A few of our Sneaker Squad volunteers

Project Outrun: Iowa Chapter

We are so grateful to Anthony and Lauren Long for falling in love with our mission and sharing our message across the great state of Iowa. In the past year, the Longs have created over 40 shoe stories and there is much more to come from the Longs and their community!