Robert Brown

I’m a programmer and engineer, long-distance runner, and rock climber. I’ve lived and worked in

Germany for the past decade and transitioned back to the U.S. at the start of this year. Around the

time I decided to come back, I came across Chris Herren’s Unguarded documentary on ESPN,

which really spoke to me and highlighted the reality of drug use and addiction in America. It’s

something I’d thought about often, and the contrast to Europe was really unbelievable to me.

Here in the U.S., we have people – even millionaires and celebrities – dying from

fentanyl overdoses on contaminated/cut recreational drugs. In Europe, recreational drug use is

absolutely rampant, and you rarely hear a word of anyone dying. Most certainly not from

fentanyl.

In a sentence – the climate of drug use and addiction in the U.S. is far, far more tragic than that of

Europe. There is a huge number of social, political, and economic factors at play in the U.S.

creating this deadly climate, and the fact that so many affected people don’t have health coverage

to get recovery support makes the work of organizations like the Herren Project so much more

crucial here in the U.S.

All of this was at the forefront of my mind as I was returning to the U.S. at the start of the year,

and my sister (a New Yorker of over 10 years) had just decided to run her first marathon in

NYC! One thing led to another – and here I am.

I really look forward to meeting all of the volunteers and hearing all of your personal stories and

reasons for running with the Herren Project.