SALT LAKE CITY — Eight years after University of Utah student-athlete Lauren McCluskey was shot and killed on campus, her legacy continues to inspire change.
Hundreds of runners, students, university employees and community members gathered Saturday at the McCarthy Family Track and Field Complex for the fifth annual Run for Campus Safety, an event held in Lauren's honor and dedicated to raising awareness about dating violence, harassment and campus safety.
For Lauren's mother, Jill McCluskey, returning to the track brings back memories of watching her daughter compete as a University of Utah student-athlete.
"It always brings back so many memories of Lauren running on this track," Jill said. "And we've always been overwhelmed by the community support. We're inspired just to see the change that is happening."
Jill was also reunited with several of Lauren's former teammates, who competed alongside her daughter during her time at the university.
"I see her in them," Jill said. "So I love seeing them, just keeping that connection and feeling their love. It means so much to us."
The fifth annual event drew a record crowd, with more than 800 people expected to participate. Student-athletes, sororities, fraternities and other campus organizations joined the event, which is supported in part by the Lauren McCluskey Foundation.
The foundation advocates for believing and supporting people who come forward to report harassment, abuse or other concerns, a message rooted in Lauren's own experience.
Lauren had repeatedly reported concerns about a man she briefly dated to university police. The man, who had stalked and attempted to extort her, shot and killed her on October 22, 2018.
The tragedy prompted significant scrutiny of the university's response. The McCluskey family later reached multimillion-dollar legal settlements with the University of Utah, which acknowledged failures in how Lauren's reports were handled.
Today, the university says campus safety efforts and its approach to responding to reports of harassment and threats have changed.
Keith Squires, the university's chief safety officer, said he was initially brought in to conduct an independent review of the university's response to Lauren's killing. He later helped implement recommendations that came out of that review.
"This is a completely different department here than we had before," Squires said. He pointed to changes in the department's people, culture and commitment to safety, adding that Lauren remains in their thoughts as they continue working on new safety initiatives.
One effort is the Lauren Promise, which encourages people to believe and support those who come forward for help.
University of Utah student Brittany Ramirez said she sees the message making a difference across campus.
"I see my professors saying it all the time, and just in my sorority it's around, it's everywhere," Ramirez said. "I like how much of a difference it's making. I think it's a really good change that's happening on campus."
Throughout Saturday's run, participants also held signs carrying messages about believing victims, speaking up and taking dating violence and harassment seriously. The signs served as a reminder that the event is about more than remembering Lauren, it's about helping prevent similar tragedies.
For Squires, the run is an opportunity to turn a devastating loss into something that can make a difference for others.
"It's just a great opportunity to take something that's such a tragedy and turn it into something that's so positive for safety for everyone," he said.
Eight years later, Lauren's name continues to bring people together, with her family, students and university leaders working to make sure her legacy is one of awareness, action and safer campuses.