Finish the Run – Summer 2026

*Content advisory: reference to assault, gender-based violence

July 25 marked the third Finish the Run fundraiser in support of METRAC.

After facing a random, brutal attack on a run in July 2024, athlete, music therapist and advocate SarahRose Black founded Finish the Run. The fundraiser brings together communities from Toronto and beyond to support METRAC’s work in developing programs and resources to fight gender-based violence. 

METRAC has worked to build networks of community safety and support over the past four decades, ensuring that survivors of violence and women and youth in vulnerable situations feel empowered to speak out, take up space, and to live their lives without fear. 

“I was just blown away by the show of support from the community and the generosity from our sponsors, every year it just gets bigger,” said SarahRose. 

Taking part in the run, she says, is about “reclaiming our space as women and women-identifying people.” 

SaraRose’s goal of empowering women to reclaim their space resonates deeply with the work METRAC has been committed to for over 40 years. That shared goal of eradicating gender-based violence and fostering safer, more inclusive communities has grown into a powerful partnership, and this year marked Finish the Run’s third time partnering with METRAC. 

From connecting survivors of violence to accessible justice resources, to providing youth-centred programming in schools, to working with community stakeholders to perform community and workplace safety audits, this year’s fundraiser will support METRAC’s vital, ongoing work against gender-based violence in Toronto and beyond. 

Athlete, mental health advocate, and cancer survivor Denoja Uthayakumar has attended all three Finish the Run events since the fundraiser’s inception in August 2024. 

“Finish the Run is very personal and close to my heart. Sarah Rose is run family, she’s like a sister to me,” she said.  When she learned what had happened on the day of the attack against SarahRose, Denoja dropped everything and rushed to the hospital where her friend had been admitted. 

“It was heartbreaking to see that she went through something like that,” said Denoja. 

Like many of the athletes, volunteers, and organizers who came out to Finish the Run, Denoja is a survivor of abuse and assault, both in running and in life. 

“There’s many people that are still battling through certain things in silence,” she said. “So having organizations like METRAC and having events like Finish the Run, it brings that awareness to help other women out there know that they’re not alone.”  

“Personally, [Finish the Run] has been a huge part of my own healing,” said SaraRose. “Everybody carries a story or a connection to a story.

“How we heal is with community, completely.”