Portland run clubs are booming — with a club for everyone
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Run clubs in Portland are booming post-pandemic as more people look for fitness options with social connection.
Why it matters: Running is often solitary, but clubs can build camaraderie and accountability.
- "When you're surrounded by people who share a similar goal, you want to continue to bring something better to the table," Cristian Vargas, founder of Caminado Running Club, tells Axios.
The big picture: Run clubs are not new, especially in Oregon. Running is ingrained in our culture due to the omnipresence of sportswear giants, like Nike and Adidas, and the legacy of Steve Prefontaine.
- "We've been on the cutting edge of so many things," Ian Williams, founder of Deadstock Coffee and its weekly run club, tells Axios. "Then we see the grand adoption when it goes to bigger cities."
State of play: There's a run club for everyone: beer lovers, trail runners, rock climbers, those in recovery, lesbians, trans and non-binary folks, plus slowpokes and many more. And new ones keep popping up.
Case in point: Vargas, who also started JUNTOSpdx, saw a gap in offerings for Latino runners and launched his club last year, building membership by word of mouth and social media.
- "[I] wanted to create spaces for my community and my culture to feel valued, heard and empowered," Vargas said.
Zoom in: Williams saw his weekly run club, which dates back to 2015, go from just a handful of participants pre-COVID to more than 200 now. He attributes the rise to the group's inclusivity.
- "Sometimes you feel like you're not fast enough in some of these run clubs," he said. "This is definitely a no-judgment version of that."
- Deadstock Run Club features three options — 4.5 miles, 2.5 miles and walking. Some meetups are sponsored by companies, like New Balance and Propel, or centered around events, like Hood to Coast and Sneaker Week.
My thought bubble: As a non-runner, I went to Deadstock on a recent sweltering Tuesday a bit apprehensive. Headphones and sunglasses on, my anxiety was quickly shattered by a few nearby strangers who sparked up a conversation.
- When it was time to go, the walking group headed to Tom McCall Waterfront Park, onto the Willamette Greenway and back to Old Town.
- By the time the one-hour, 2-mile walk was over, I had made new acquaintances (and four new Instagram followers).