Running certainly can be a solo activity, but many prefer to run in groups. In addition to the accountability, safety, and motivational aspects, many people who run with a group do so for the camaraderie that being with like-minded individuals can bring.
Pittsburgh has no shortage of running groups, and they can serve different purposes for the runner.
Kim Lambert serves as the president and one of the coaches of the City of Bridges Run Club; she and two other friends started the run club four years ago. “We were in another run club together, and with COVID, all the run clubs shut down, so it was an opportunity for us to create something that didn’t exist in Pittsburgh running: an all-volunteer, member-led, member-funded run club,” said Lambert.
Lambert had been a run coach and run leader in several other clubs for over ten years. When she started City of Bridges, her vision was a club where everyone felt welcome and included, no matter where they were in their running journeys. While some runners in the group are more seasoned, aiming to run marathons, this club caters to runners of all distances and abilities.
The organization is a 501(c)(3) and is affiliated with the national organization, Road Runners Club of America. Lambert and the other two founders are certified coaches through this club, writing training plans and coaching the runners who are planning to run various races. “We want to be knowledgeable about the sport and know how to help our runners excel in their journeys,” she said.
City of Bridges hosts various runs throughout the city most days of the week: Monday runs at Schenley Oval; Tuesday runs in the west suburbs; a city run on Wednesdays; a Thursday run in the South Hills; and a longer run on Saturdays, in which three or four different distances are offered. The Saturday runs attract at least 150 people, and up to 250 people as the Pittsburgh Marathon and Half Marathon approach.
Lambert said that the club attracts runners of all ages and demographics and those with varying degrees of skill and experience. Those differences do not matter, though, as the group, through its shared love of the sport, forms a tight-knit community. “When you are running with people on Saturdays, you’re spending a lot of time with people who are like-minded. If you’re training for a distance race, it’s a big-time commitment, even though we all may have different goals. For many of us, it also becomes our social outlet. It’s not ’I have to run.’ It’s more ’I get to run with my friends today,’” she said.
Lambert said that the group also meets at restaurants after a run, where they can enjoy each other’s company afterward. And the club members cheer each other on at races. “Runners get so excited to see someone they know cheering for them; it just gives them a boost!” she said.
She also gives a lot of credit to the community of volunteers who help make the organization function, including participating in many fundraisers and supporting various nonprofits in the city. “We always want to make sure we are giving back,” she said.
Other groups are almost entirely comprised of those who run for social reasons, although getting some exercise in the process is always an advantage. Jessica Sickler joined People Who Run Downtown immediately upon moving to Pittsburgh 14 years ago; the informal organization was the brainchild of Dale Schwab, who founded the local group in the 1980s after encountering a similar one in Detroit.
Each Tuesday, the group meets at a local restaurant, in a different Pittsburgh neighborhood, to begin the run, which is mapped out by a group member. Whether a participant runs the entire route or a shortened version of the route, they all meet up afterward back at the restaurant for food and friendship.
“It’s super noncompetitive. Some folks run races and may aim for a personal record here and there, but most of us aren’t training to be up with the elite cross-country runners; we’re just normal runners. We’re just people who run for fun and for health. Maybe we race, but we have very few people who are elite cross-country runners,” said Sickler.
People Who Run Downtown is entirely volunteer-based, with no membership fees and is very informal. “We stay pretty much within the city limits but rotate around the neighborhoods, not necessarily Downtown. We run in the North Side, South Side, East End, Lawrenceville; we try to keep it rotating so every week, we’re in a different part of the city,” said Sickler. One of the participants creates a map each week with a variety of routes ranging from three to six miles.
“The restaurant is a key part of this all, as we get to socialize afterward,” said Sickler. In fact, Sickler joked that unless she gets to hang out for food and a drink afterward, she doesn’t understand the point of going to a running group. “I can do that alone. But it is really a great way to build relationships and build a community. We’re all friends, and we’re in each other’s lives. Our society has lacked a lot of ways for people to build community, locally, in person, face-to-face, not as faces on the internet.”
The running groups sponsored at several Pro Bike + Run locations, including the one based in North Park, are also informal as well as free. Most of the participants are there to join in the “Fun Runs” or the “Fitness Hikes,” which take place at various locations within or around North Park. Chris Cain’s home store is in Robinson, though he lives in the North Hills. But no matter at which location runners meet, one thing is universally true: friendships are formed. “Runners tend to be a social bunch. Folks like running together; there are multiple benefits to that,” Cain said, including training support as well as accountability.
“If you’re a brand-new runner, being involved in a run group is a great idea. You will learn some things. You will have people who are a little more experienced running than you are that can help you along and can gently point out things you maybe can do a little better, like your form or choice of shoes/gear. It’s nice knowing there might be other people around you in a fun and informal setting that can teach you a little bit,” said Cain.
Comments