Want to join a Run Crew? What’s a Run Crew?
Running Crews, Run Crews, Crews, Tribes and Social Running Groups are sprouting up all over the country and have been gaining in popularity over the past several years. The basic concept is, a group of runners meet in the evening each week at one of their favorite destinations, go for a run, come back for a cold beverage, maybe some food, hang out and have some great conversation with like-minded individuals. But there is actually a lot more to a Run Crew. It’s an attitude, a culture and a way of life.
One very popular Run Crew, District Running Collective (DRC) www.districtrunningcollective.com was started because the founder Matt Green wanted to do something different for his birthday. Instead of going out to the bar and drinking all night with friends, he wanted everyone to go for a late night 5k run and then come back for some food and drinks. He didn’t know how many people would show. He was thinking maybe 20-30 but more than 100 showed up for the run.
As I said, Run Crews are a culture and way of life. Many don’t even consider themselves runners. Even though they are logging 15-20 miles or more a week. They are doing a lot of other thinks as well, and this is just adding to the mix of activities. A crew welcomes every level of runner. When you show up, you might as well leave the Garmin behind. They’re not super focused on pace or time. They’re goal is to keep everyone close together so everyone is part of the crew. Many runners see running as a chore, constant training or a way to escape. Crews really look forward to showing up and being with their friends and blowing off some steam. There is a huge social component, it’s non competitive and far from serious. Often they change up the destination so the view and terrain are always different. Meeting up at a favorite watering hole is part of it. However, they tend to be very responsible. They will typically have one or two beverages and wrap it up as many will have a long run or are scheduled for the gym in the morning. And it’s not really about the drinking, it’s an experienced based run. You’re running in different places, new sites, with great friends, sometimes new friends, trying new food and maybe a craft beverage.
One crew, Bridgerunners, stops along the way and takes a lot of photos. It gives everyone a chance to catch their breath and capture some great photos. If you’re running a slower pace, they will stop and wait for you.
For District Running Collective (DRC), they started as a small group and it grew from there. Here is a great article in Competitor Magazine by Brian Metzler.
“The group only has a few rules and guidelines, and most are tied to having fun, being safe and making conversation: Headphones aren’t allowed, and you need to leave your ego behind.”
We will have our first Fleet Feet Run Crew in place in the next couple of weeks. Our goal is to run from a different location each week. Here is an example of how the run will go. We’ll start from a Stuart or Jensen Beach location. Preferably a great restaurant, brew pub or gastro pub, some place cool. It won’t be for mileage but a timed run that is strictly for fun so leave your pace at home. We run out for 20 minutes (just an example) and then back for 20 for a total of a 40 minutes. Your pace won’t matter because we will all start and end at the same place and time so we’re all together. If there are some speedy people, they will have just ran a bit farther but we’re all still together and within sight. And after, we get to hang out with some great friends, have some great food and enjoy a cold refreshment! We are very excited about our new Run Crew and are just putting on the finishing touches before we roll it out. So stay tuned for upcoming news.
Stay safe, happy and healthy, we’ll see you out there!
Edgar
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