The Proxy Run and Party in The BackThe Proxy Run and Party in The Back
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu Robinson and Josh Hansen talk through the Addict II Athlete Proxy 5k, where runners honour people lost to addiction, mental health issues and suicide. Their chat blends emotional reflection, community stories and the idea that movement can help carry grief and hope at the same time.
52:44•4 Oct 2022
Running Proxy: Grief, Community and a 5k That Hits Different
Episode Overview
- A Proxy 5k can give people a way to honour loved ones lost to addiction, mental health struggles, or suicide.
- Physical movement and running can help process grief when words are not enough.
- Practising patience and kindness with others – and yourself – is highlighted as a key lesson from loss.
- Creating quiet, reflective spaces like the memory grove encourages people to truly see and acknowledge those who have died.
- Open conversation and community involvement are presented as vital in responding to rising overdose deaths.
“Movement equals healing. We’re not running away from anything, people. We’re running towards everything.”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? This conversation between Coach Blu Robinson and Josh Hansen shines a light on how running, remembrance, and community blend into one emotional 5k. Recorded for their running show "The Party in The Back" and shared here with Addict II Athlete listeners, the episode centres on the Addict II Athlete Proxy 5k – a yearly event where people run on behalf of loved ones lost to addiction, mental health struggles, or suicide.
It’s part race, part memorial, and part group therapy with trainers and athletes in running shoes. You’ll hear Josh talk through his first time at the Proxy Run, carrying a flag for his late friend Don and walking through the "quiet zone" – a shaded stretch of trail lined with lanterns and around 75 names and photos.
He admits, "I cannot turn away," as he reads each name and plays Pink Floyd’s "On the Turning Away" to keep himself present with the grief and love on display. Coach Blu adds stories of families huddled at the finish line, assisted athletes being pushed in racing chairs, and the hard truth that movement can be healing when words fall short.
Together, they reflect on patience, kindness, and the idea that people in recovery often know how to "run through pain" because they’ve survived far worse than sore legs. The tone swings between light jokes about snacks and shirts, and raw reflections on loss, relapse, and the staggering number of overdose deaths each day. It’s aimed at anyone in recovery, their families, and runners who want something more meaningful than another medal.
If you’ve ever wondered how a simple 5k could change how you see grief, service, and sobriety, this one might leave you asking who you’d run proxy for – and what you’re still running toward.
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