RIVER VALE, N.J.—After 36 marathons and more than 150 road races, Jamik Ligon has earned the right to call himself a runner. But he doesn’t think anyone needs to go nearly that far.
His philosophy is simple: If you run, you’re a runner.
Ligon, author of “Every Runner, Every Day: A Memoir — The Running Journey from Brownsville, Brooklyn to Bergen County, New Jersey and Everywhere in Between,” was among the vendors at River Vale Day on Oct. 4, where he greeted neighbors, discussed his book, and shared his enthusiasm for running.
The encounter came amid an exciting new chapter for Ligon, who was recently named varsity head coach of cross-country and track and field at Albertus Magnus High School in Bardonia, N.Y.
According to the school’s announcement, Ligon is a USA Track & Field Level 2 certified coach, a National Association of Speed and Explosion-certified speed specialist, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a certified running gait analyst and an ultrarunning coach certified by the United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy.
His competitive résumé includes 36 completed marathons and more than 50 half-marathons.
Yet for all those accomplishments, Ligon’s message remains strikingly accessible: Running isn’t reserved for elite athletes. Anyone willing to put one foot in front of the other belongs.
Published in 2024, his 308-page memoir traces his journey from Brownsville, Brooklyn — a neighborhood associated with the saying “Brownsville, never ran, never will” — to a life in which running became a source of purpose, perseverance and personal discovery.
According to a March 2025 review by Elizabeth Reiser in “Independent Book Review,” Ligon was born to a teenage mother and an incarcerated father and was raised largely by his grandmother. He went on to serve in the Marines, earn a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and build a family and a life in which running has played a central role for more than two decades.
The book explores the relationship between running and life’s challenges, from family and career to setbacks and personal triumphs.
“There are a lot of different runners out there,” Ligon told Pascack Press at River Vale Day, at the Mark Lane Complex, explaining that differences in speed or experience matter less than what runners share.
“At some point every day, we’re all doing the same thing,” he said.
Asked what prompted him to write the memoir, Ligon said “I know how to write. I know how to run.”
Ligon has also taken his storytelling to the microphone. In January 2026, he launched the “Every Runner, Every Day” podcast, featuring conversations with runners about training, perseverance and the role running plays in their lives.
Guests have included a professional pilot who finds freedom in both flying and running, an ultramarathoner who has completed three 100-mile races, and a runner who qualified for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. A September episode featured Ligon’s 15-year-old son, Kadin, following his first half-marathon.
The podcast emphasizes personal experiences over competitive achievement, with conversations about the everyday relationship runners have with the sport.
Ligon also operates a local business organizing races and offers a summer speed camp. He said he enjoys participating in community events, where familiar faces often stop by simply to catch up. “A lot of people know me, so they come kind of talk about what I’m doing,” he said.
For Ligon, attending Fall Fest was as much about maintaining those connections as promoting his book. “I don’t like missing community events,” he said.
“Every Runner, Every Day” is available in print and audiobook editions through Amazon. Ligon’s podcast of the same name is available free through Audible and Amazon Music.