Project Summary:
Air pollution remains one of Wisconsin’s most pressing environmental health challenges, contributing to asthma, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. These burdens are not distributed equally: Milwaukee’s Black and Latino communities experience higher exposure to particulate pollution and lower access to health-promoting resources such as parks and green space. Milwaukee County consistently leads the state in asthma hospitalizations, and 2023 marked one of Wisconsin’s worst air-quality years in decades due to regional wildfire smoke and rising summertime ozone.
Reducing exposure and increasing public awareness of air quality are critical to improving health equity and cardiovascular outcomes statewide. To address this need, Running for Our Lives will partner with Milwaukee’s Latino-led Buena Tierra Run Club and the predominantly Black F.E.A.R. MKE running group to measure, map, and interpret neighborhood-level air quality during weekly runs. Using next-generation wearable AtomTUBE Pro2 air quality monitors, participants will collect real-time data on fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature, and humidity, and pair it with GPS data to identify spatial and temporal patterns in pollution exposure.
The project will provide bilingual education sessions to raise air-quality literacy, promote safer running practices, and engage residents as both data collectors and interpreters of their environment. In partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin and Data You Can Use, the project will analyze data to identify healthier, safer routes for outdoor activity and share results through bilingual community maps, events, and an annual 5K Run/Walk for Clean Air. By merging citizen science with public health, this initiative will strengthen environmental health awareness, reduce pollution-related risks, and create a replicable model for advancing health equity across Wisconsin.
Community Partners: Buena Tierra Run Club, F.E.A.R. MKE, Data You Can Use, MKE FreshAir Collective