Running in the city has always been popular but with one of Calgary’s new running clubs, the exercise takes on a whole new form.
While scrolling Tik-Tok, Stephanie Mah came across a video from Sean Walker and Trenton Bingham, the creators of Calgary’s 2mro run club.
“Day one of running in Calgary until we have an army behind us,” said Walker and Bingham in their post.
The post quickly gained traction, going viral on Instagram. By the second run, their self-proclaimed “army” was already growing.
When it comes to putting shoes on the pavement, who you do it with might be just as meaningful as the activity itself. Over the past six months, multiple run clubs popped up across Calgary and the city is embracing the new community.
The First Run
For Mah, a recent university graduate, running clubs first appeared on her radar while finishing school in Toronto. With plans to move back to Calgary, Mah was eager to find community in fitness and explore her new passion for running.
“Coming back you don’t have as close of friends, and I didn’t have friends that were into fitness like that,” said Mah.
Despite being scared of going places alone, Mah was one of the 15 people who showed up to the first official run of the 2mro run club.
“I kind of just forced myself, and I showed up. The very first day, I fell in love with it,” said Mah.
“Honestly, it changed my life completely.”
Why start a run club?
Walker and Bingham stand head and shoulders above the group of runners gathered before dawn by Calgary’s Peace Bridge.
Both originally from Rocky Mountain House, Alta., Walker and Bingham decided to move to Calgary to develop and launch their accountability app, 2mro. They started the run club as part of the marketing and brand building.
“It kind of goes hand in hand with the Run Club. We like to hold people accountable to come to the runs and push them to do what they’re trying to do,” said Walker.
Before coming to Calgary the two friends lived abroad in Australia, where they saw a big running club culture. The pair saw how these clubs brought young adults together and were desperate to bring something similar to Calgary.
Walker and Bingham acknowledged the long-standing run clubs in Calgary, such as the YYC Run Crew, but they wanted to create a space for the younger post grad-aged population to build community.
Even though most participants are in their twenties, Mah says that the club is inclusive, and Walker and Bingham are happy to include all ages and skill levels.
“I don’t think 2mro run club would be what it is without Sean and Trenton,” said Mah.
More than a run club
Over the past year, multiple new run clubs have popped up around the city—2mro run club, Offline Wellness Club, BIPOC run club, and many other fitness clubs.
What sets these clubs apart is the post-workout activities, which can include going for coffee, meeting at a brewery, playing lawn games, and connecting with the other members of the club.
“We even make a joke now that people come for the post run activities instead of the run because it’s like the best part,” said Mah.
Why the obsession?
According to a report from Statistics Canada, fewer people in urban areas have someone to count on than people in rural areas. This information, coupled with social media to spread awareness of these events, could explain why run clubs are becoming more popular in cities the province like Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge.
Though most clubs will hibernate for the snowy months, Walker and Bingham predict that we will see more groups emerge in the spring.