MJ Smith, Founder of Temple Running

Mishaun “MJ” Smith is the founder of Temple Running, a platform that looks to encourage enhancing and maintaining your temple (your mind and body) through your soles. She is the host of her own show on YouTube that gives tips and focuses on all things running and maintaining your temple. She is currently serving as a military officer in the United States AIr Force and is a wife and mother of 1 super adorable little boy.

MJ is originally from Milwaukee, Wi and graduate of Florida A&M University. She began her running journey in 2008 while she was deployed to Iraq. She took to running because it helped her get through the stress of being away from home and working in a high stress environment. She did her first half marathon in 2012 and has been hooked ever since. Completing 10 half marathons every year 2016-2019, MJ has done a total of 46 in person half marathons. She also took on and conquered the Disney World Dopey Challenge completing 48.6 miles over a 4 day period.

MJ started Temple Running in June of 2020 because she wanted to help people get started who want to become runners as well as provide content and info to those who are already runners that will help to improve his/her journey. She was inspired to start the blog and YouTube Channel because she didn’t see many people who looked like her creating content about running, healthy living, and overall self-care and maintenance while sharing his/her own journey along the way. She is here for all runners, but believes representation is important in any activity that is looking the attract a diverse interest group. So she dove right into building a working to build a running community and providing content as an influencer.

MJ is seeking to become a certified run coach and start a non-profit to help kids to find an outlet in running. She is also working with several running organizations to continuously expand the reach of Temple Running and the positive impact it can drive in the running community.

See full interview  here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcUcu5yI_jQ

You can check MJ out on: 

• YouTube https://youtube.com/c/TempleRunningwithMJSmith
• Facebook @templerunning365 
• Instagram @temple_running365 
• Twitter @temple_running 

Affiliations/Clubs:Black Girls Run!Half FanaticsBalega Sock AmbassadorNike Run Club
States Ran: 18, Countries Ran: 3

Races:
2012 Washington DC Rock N Roll Half Marathon (Washington DC, USA)
2013 Incirlik AB Half Marathon (Adana, Turkey)
2013 Istanbul Intercontinental 15K (Istanbul, Turkey)
2014 Cyprus Half Marathon (Cyprus, Greece)
2014 International Tarsus Half Marathon (Tarsus, Turkey)
2015 Savannah Rock N Roll Half Marathon (Georgia, USA)
2015 Magic City Half Marathon (Alabama, USA)
2016 Mercedes-Benz Half Marathon (Alabama, USA)
2016 New Orleans Rock N Roll (Louisiana, USA
)2016 Montgomery Half Marathon (Alabama, USA)
2016 Publix Georgia Half Marathon (Georgia, USA)
2016 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon (Tennessee, USA)
2016 Chicago Rock N Roll Half Marathon (Illinois, USA)
2016 Divas Half Marathon (Georgia, USA)
2016 St. Louis Rock N Roll Half Marathon (Missouri, USA)
2016 Savannah Rock N Roll Half Marathon/5K (Georgia, USA)
2016 Las Vegas Rock N. Roll Half Marathon (Nevada, USA)
2016 St. Jude Hospital Half Marathon (Tennessee, USA)
2017 Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge - 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon (Florida, USA)
2017 Montgomery Half Marathon (Alabama, USA)
2017 Dallas Rock N Roll Half Marathon (Texas, USA)2
017 Centerpoint Half Marathon (Alabama, USA)
2017 San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon/5K (California, USA)
2017 Chicago Rock N Roll Half Marathon (Illinois, USA)
2017 St. Louis Rock N Roll Half Marathon (Missouri, USA)
2017 Walt Disneyland Avengers Half Marathon (California, USA)
2018 Little Rock Half Marathon (Arkansas, USA)
2018 Creve Coeur St. Paddy’s Half Marathon (Missouri, USA)
2018 Go! St. Louis Half Marathon (Missouri, USA)
2018 Go Girl Run! Columbia (Missouri, USA)
2018 13.1 St. Louis (Missouri, USA)
2018 Chicago Rock N Roll Half Marathon (Illinois, USA)
2018 Mo Cowbell Half Marathon (Missouri, USA)
2018 Detroit FreePress International Half Marathon (Michigan, USA)
2018 Louisville Half Marathon (Kentucky, USA)
2018 Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Half Marathon (Georgia, USA)
2019 Liberty Hospital Half Marathon (Missouri, USA)
2019 Creve Coeur St. Paddy’s Half Marathon (Missouri, USA)
2019 Dismal Swamp Stomp (Virginia, USA)
2019 Raleigh Half Marathon (North Carolina, USA)
2019 National Women’s Half Marathon (Washington DC, USA)
2019 Marine Corps Half Marathon (Virginia, USA)
2019 Philadelphia Rock N Roll Half Marathon (Pennsylvania, USA)
2019 Baltimore Running Festival Half Marathon (Maryland, USA)
2019 Annapolis Running Classic Half Marathon (Maryland, USA)
2019 Norfolk Harbor Half Marathon (Virginia, USA)
2021 Sunset Beach Half Marathon (North Carolina, USA)