After having a lot of fun as a digital champion for the Modo Spring Run-Off Vancouver 8K, I’ve been invited back to be an ambassador for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon. This year, I’ll be running in support of the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House.
As part of my duties, I was asked to write a post for the Canadian Running Series blog. This time I chose to write about the Fraser Street Run Club. Here’s my post:
Join The (Running) Club!
Anybody who has trained for a race knows how strange the rigours of the sport can seem to your non-running friends and family. Running with others is often as much about sharing training tips as it is about spending time with like-minded people. This is certainly the case with the Fraser Street Run Club (FsRC).
FsRC was founded by Jesse Booi, Kat Drew, Cody Callon, and Michelle Ford. Dubbed the Fraser Street Run Club—after the neighbourhood where three of the four founders lived—the group started as an inside joke with a few monthly runs. The club is based on a simple premise of getting together for a run and hanging out afterward, drinking some beer, and sharing running stories.
The FsRC crew with honourary member Alan Brookes, Canada Running Series Race Director.
I joined the FsRC soon after completing my first marathon clinic. After 16 weeks of running with others, I was missing the camaraderie of my fellow marathoners. From my first run with the group, I quickly realized that I had found something special. The simple equation of running and socializing had led to a community that was greater than the sum of its parts.
The success of the FsRC equation is evident in the continued growing number—and variety— of people who come out each week to club runs. The mission of the group is to engage people in running and build a supportive community for runners of all levels; from novices to national calibre runners. One week I can find myself running alongside a national champion marathoner, they next week I’m encouraging someone who is running their first 5K since high school. I believe that this inclusive and supportive environment is the secret of FsRC’s appeal.
Hanging out with fellow Modo 8K digital champions, Elinor Warkentin and Steph Harrap
If you live in or around Vancouver, I highly recommend you check out this club. We currently offer two consistent weekly runs:
- Feel Good Fridays are weekly social fun runs at 7 pm. There are 5k and 10k routes followed by (BYOB) beers and socializing. These runs are open to everybody, and are designed to get people outside and active. We include pace groups for for all levels, including walk/run.
- Track Tuesdays are 60-90 minute workouts designed to make you speedy. These structured, traditional track workout are open to anyone and everyone—from 5K to 50K runners.They are held every Tuesday at 6:30 pm at a local track.
For details on these runs, including routes and locations, check out the Fraser Street Run Clubwebsite, follow FsRC on Instagram and Twitter, or join the FsRC Facebook group.
