Four or five miles can go by pretty fast when you get lost in conversation with a fellow runner during a casual jaunt around Carbondale.
That’s often how it is at the Independence Run & Hike Thursday night Run Club, which can draw anywhere from four to 40 runners on a given week.
Who knows, it could even lead to romance.
“The running group is where I met my wife, Betsy,” store owner Brion After said. “We decided to go do a run up Arbaney Kittle [in Basalt], and she had just moved here and showed up.
“We’ve had several people who met at the group run who have gotten married. So on Valentine’s Day a few years ago we posted a picture of all of us who met there.”
The informal group runs have been a part of the culture at Independence Run & Hike since it first opened 20 years ago. They started on Saturday mornings, with options for longer or shorter road runs, and eventually adding separate trail run outings.
Former store employee Emily Steers (now Emily White) came up with the idea for the “Thirsty Thursday Beer Run” about 10 years ago. After the group run, participants would gather at a local watering hole for some food, drinks and casual conversation.
It became the more popular of the two group run days, so it stuck.
The Run Club meets at 6:30pm at the store, located at 901 Highway 133, next to City Market, every Thursday (6pm during the winter months). There are options for a four- or five-mile loop at different paces, followed by snacks and drinks back at the store. Leashed dogs and kid strollers are welcome.
“The social aspect is huge,” After said. “That’s a big part of the world these days, is people just like to meet in a nice, safe setting and get to know each other better.”
And the conversations you might have!
After described one run chat he had with a woman who was in town training for the Leadville 100, who happened to be a cold-case crime investigator in Detroit. She told of a murder case she cracked. It was a little like running with an audiobook, but interactive, After said.
“We were out there for maybe an hour at Leadville pace, and it was probably one of the coolest stories I’ve ever heard. It’s stuff like that that makes the group run really fun.”
Former store manager Kyle Jones was a regular run leader before he moved back to Austin, Texas a couple of years ago. He was in town for a visit in March, and is planning to move back to Carbondale.
“We had group runs in Austin where I’m from, but I was always more of a solo run guy and didn’t really value the community aspect until I came here,” he said. “It’s such a close-knit, inclusive community and I sort of came to consider it to be like my family.”
Longtime Carbondale resident Michelle Smith was a competitive runner in college, but had never joined the group runs until she started working at the store about three years ago.
“I had a job where I worked from home in front of the computer a lot, and I was feeling pretty isolated just doing that,” she said. “So when I started working here I also started coming to the run club and began making a whole new friend network. Now, they’re some of my closest friends.”
Sara Porter, Jessi Rochel and Garrett Holody are also run group regulars.
“It’s a great, super-inclusive group of people who all have the same passion for running and are welcoming to all kinds of runners,” Porter said.
Added Rochel, “Everyone is really great about chatting and being supportive of each other, and it’s a really good way to make sure you get yourself out of the house.”
Holody uses the weekly group run to supplement his training for some of the upcoming races.
“It’s a great way to stay committed to the sport and share some training ideas, and it’s nice to just meet other people who are doing the same thing and to be social,” he said.
Independence Run & Hike puts on four of those races throughout the year.
UPCOMING RACES
Coming up is the 5 Point 5K on Saturday, April 25, in conjunction with the 5 Point Film Festival weekend. The 5-kilometer run starts and finishes near the store, beginning at 9am.
Then there is the Mt. Sopris Runoff 28K and 10-mile trail races, taking place on Sunday, May 17. This is the third year for the revamped Runoff race, which starts on Prince Creek Road and heads up and over the Crown via the Prince Creek and Glassier trails, finishing at Rock Bottom Ranch where there’s a big party with food and drinks.
Down the road are the Mountain Fair 4 Miler on the last Saturday of July, and the Jingle Bell Run 5K in mid-December.
More information and registration details are at independencerunandhike.com/our-events-2-2/