The event grew out of the rugby community's own grief. When the club lost one of its brightest young players, teammates chose to honor her the way she lived — with movement, laughter, and fierce care for one another — by organizing a memorial run open to the whole region. In its early years the run drew hundreds of participants and raised tens of thousands of dollars for mental-health causes, and it became one of the most meaningful days on the club's calendar.
The Course
The run starts and finishes at the rugby clubhouse and follows a scenic loop around a local pond, on trails maintained by a community improvement society that operates the campground and public recreation areas there. It is a friendly, all-paces event — competitive runners, families with strollers, and first-time walkers have always shared the same trail.
Why It Matters
Eating disorders carry the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, and they thrive in silence. A memorial run does a simple, powerful thing: it turns private struggle into a public act of solidarity, and it points people toward help. Proceeds have supported a national eating-disorders organization and a local Upper Valley crisis-support hotline — the kind of resources that can change, and save, lives.
Finding Support
If you or someone you love is struggling, help is available now. The National Eating Disorders Association offers a screening tool and referral resources, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support around the clock — call or text 988 anytime. You are not alone, and reaching out is a sign of strength.
In Memory
The award given each year at the run honors the qualities the club most admired in the teammate it lost: an indomitable spirit, passionate support of others, and an irreverent sense of humor. In that spirit, Cully's Run remains less about a race time than about showing up for one another — on the trail, on the pitch, and in the harder moments off it. As one coach put it, the run keeps a cherished memory present in the life of the team, and reminds everyone never to be afraid to reach out to the people who love them.