The 1000 Mile Club consists of men & women from Marin County and men from San Quentin, who build friendships through running. Our panel consisted of some wonderful guests, including: Marin Catholic cross country coaches Tim & Diana Fitzpatrick, other members of the 1000 Mile Club, and MC students.

This event helped unpack some of the profound insights from our school-wide read, Just Mercy, which explores powerful questions regarding racism, the criminal justice system in the United States, justice, and mercy. Author Bryan Stevenson speaks to the power of proximity: “Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done. My work with the poor and the incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice. Finally, I’ve come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.”