Ahead of the Boston Marathon, Jamil Rashad Aims to Shed Addiction Stigma

Running has been a part of Jamil Rashad’s life for about as long as he can remember. The Raleigh, North Carolina-based funk musician, who also goes by the stage name “Boulevards,” first started running when he was 12 years old. He then ran track in middle school and high school, as well as cross-country. After achieving several accolades, including winning a state meet, Rashad obtained a scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he ran cross-country and specialized in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Although Rashad won several indoor track and cross-country championship races during his time at UNC, he was eventually kicked off the team in 2006, his junior year. His coach cited that he was becoming a bad influence on his teammates. “This was when I started getting into drinking and partying,” Rashad tells Runner’s World. “I was also burned out and [felt like] I was running for everybody but [myself] and was kind of resenting [the sport].” Rashad stopped running altogether after graduating college in 2007 and didn’t pick it up again until a decade later in 2017. He’d studied art and illustration and was dedicated to building a career as a recording artist. While he had success with songwriting, released albums, and toured internationally, he fell into alcohol addiction and struggled with admitting that he had a problem. [View in Browser]( [Runner's World Logo]( [SHOP]( [RW+ EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Ahead of the Boston Marathon, Jamil Rashad Aims to Shed Addiction Stigma]( [Ahead of the Boston Marathon, Jamil Rashad Aims to Shed Addiction Stigma]( [Ahead of the Boston Marathon, Jamil Rashad Aims to Shed Addiction Stigma]( Running has been a part of Jamil Rashad’s life for about as long as he can remember. The Raleigh, North Carolina-based funk musician, who also goes by the stage name “Boulevards,” first started running when he was 12 years old. He then ran track in middle school and high school, as well as cross-country. After achieving several accolades, including winning a state meet, Rashad obtained a scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he ran cross-country and specialized in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Although Rashad won several indoor track and cross-country championship races during his time at UNC, he was eventually kicked off the team in 2006, his junior year. His coach cited that he was becoming a bad influence on his teammates. “This was when I started getting into drinking and partying,” Rashad tells Runner’s World. “I was also burned out and [felt like] I was running for everybody but [myself] and was kind of resenting [the sport].” Rashad stopped running altogether after graduating college in 2007 and didn’t pick it up again until a decade later in 2017. He’d studied art and illustration and was dedicated to building a career as a recording artist. While he had success with songwriting, released albums, and toured internationally, he fell into alcohol addiction and struggled with admitting that he had a problem. Running has been a part of Jamil Rashad’s life for about as long as he can remember. The Raleigh, North Carolina-based funk musician, who also goes by the stage name “Boulevards,” first started running when he was 12 years old. He then ran track in middle school and high school, as well as cross-country. After achieving several accolades, including winning a state meet, Rashad obtained a scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he ran cross-country and specialized in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Although Rashad won several indoor track and cross-country championship races during his time at UNC, he was eventually kicked off the team in 2006, his junior year. His coach cited that he was becoming a bad influence on his teammates. “This was when I started getting into drinking and partying,” Rashad tells Runner’s World. “I was also burned out and [felt like] I was running for everybody but [myself] and was kind of resenting [the sport].” Rashad stopped running altogether after graduating college in 2007 and didn’t pick it up again until a decade later in 2017. He’d studied art and illustration and was dedicated to building a career as a recording artist. While he had success with songwriting, released albums, and toured internationally, he fell into alcohol addiction and struggled with admitting that he had a problem. [Read More]( [Read More](   [There’s a Six-Day Ultramarathon Happening Inside a Speed Skating Rink Right Now]( [There’s a Six-Day Ultramarathon Happening Inside a Speed Skating Rink Right Now]( Runners have been logging miles around a 443-meter running track all week. Last year’s winner ran 437 miles. 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