MIHEI Strides for Mothers 5k

Race Overview

The MIHEI Strides for Mothers 5K will take place on August 22, 2026, at 355 Chestnut Hill Ave, Brighton, MA.

Join us as we come together to raise awareness and funds for maternal health in Nigeria.

Background

Somewhere in Nigeria, a woman is pregnant and alone. She cannot afford antenatal care. She does not know where to go, or who to call. And without intervention, she may not survive her delivery.

This is not a rare story. Nigeria accounts for more than a quarter of all maternal deaths worldwide. A woman giving birth there faces a 1 in 19 lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth. In the United States, that risk is 1 in 4,900. The gap between those two numbers is not fate. It is a failure of access.

Our Mission

MIHEI, the Maternal and Infant Health Equity Initiative, was founded on a simple but urgent belief: a mother's life should never be determined by her zip code, her income, or the road she lives on.

On August 22nd, we are running for her. We are walking for her. We are showing up, because she cannot.

Event Details

The MIHEI Strides for Mothers 5K brings together runners, walkers, and families at DCR's Chestnut Hill Reservation in Brighton, MA. We believe the Boston community has the compassion to care for women they may never meet, living lives very different from their own, across an ocean away.

Impact Areas

Maternal Health Programs in Nigeria

• Assistance Rate: Only 43% of births in Nigeria are assisted by a skilled provider.
• Facility Rate: Only 39% take place in a health facility.
• Funding Focus: We fund antenatal care for women who cannot afford it.
• Community Training: We train birth attendants in rural communities.

Innovation in Care Coordination

• Navigation: Often, the greatest barrier is not the absence of care. It is the inability to find it.
• Technology: We are building technology that connects women to the care they need.
• Better Referrals: Smarter referrals, ensuring no mother is left without guidance.
• Change a Story: You do not have to know her name to change her story. You just have to show up on August 22nd.

Get Involved

Every donation, no matter the size, goes directly to funding antenatal care, training birth attendants, and building technology that saves mothers' lives. Together, our strides add up to something transformative.

Register for the Race

For more information and to register for the MIHEI Strides for Mothers 5K, visit MIHEI Strides for Mothers 5K.