West Ashley resident Allie Holland runs marathon for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston
by Lorne Chambers | Editor
West Ashley resident Allie Holland has been running for as long as she can remember. However, at the end of this year, she will participate in her first-ever marathon when she takes on the Kiawah Island Marathon on Dec. 14. But for her, it’s more than the miles (or kilometers) or just a feather in her cap (or running shoes). Holland has committed to using her training leading up to the marathon as a way to raise funds and awareness for the local Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston, an organization that provides vital support to families with children undergoing medical treatment.
“My goal is to show that if an everyday person like me—not a seasoned marathoner—can run to create change and make a difference, then anyone can,” says Holland, who went to college on a lacrosse scholarship but only got serious about running recently. Last year, she participated in the Summerville Sweet Tea Half-Marathon.
“Taking on this marathon has been a new and exciting challenge for me, and I’m really looking forward to the experience,” she says
According to Holland, training for a marathon requires discipline and dedication, but she says living in West Ashley makes it much more enjoyable.
“I’m lucky to have so many beautiful spots to train, whether it’s running the Greenway or looping around my neighborhood,” she says. She also tries to always make time to connect with fellow runners at local run clubs—Tuesday nights with the Charleston Running Club and Saturday mornings with the Pump Run Club are both staples in her weekly routine.
“Running to raise awareness for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston has made every mile more purposeful and meaningful, turning this journey into my most enjoyable training experience yet,” says Holland. “I’ve always admired the work Ronald McDonald House Charities does to support families in our community during difficult times.”
To Holland’s surprise, her original donation goal was met quickly. In just over a week, she raised $3,000. People she’d never met, her best friends here in Charleston, acquaintances from high school, family, anonymous donors, and local businesses all came together to support Holland and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston.
“Because of this overwhelming support, we recently raised our donation goal to give the community a chance to make an even bigger impact,” she says. “The social media response has been incredible—people are engaging, sharing the message, and spreading the word, turning this into a truly community-driven movement. It’s been inspiring to witness how this effort has united so many people for a cause that genuinely matters.”
Here’s how it works: When someone, whether an individual or a local business, donates on Holland’s JustGiving page, she adds them to her running schedule. That means their donation essentially “sponsors” one of her training runs. On that day, she completes her run with their support in mind and calls them out by name on her @Allierunschs dedicated Instagram page, showing just how much their contribution means to her and the cause.
“I’m just incredibly grateful for all the support we have received throughout this journey. While we haven’t quite hit our new fundraising goal yet, we still have until race day in December, and I’m confident we can make it,” says Holland.
Follow Allie Holland’s journey on Instagram at @Allierunschs or you can make a donation at justgiving.com/page/allierunschs.
