When Krystal Brown joined Syracuse Run Club in July, she began setting her alarm earlier each weekend.
Then, the group was about 20 people. She’d heard about the group by word of mouth.
Each Saturday morning, Syracuse Run Club picked a three-mile route — often starting in downtown Syracuse — through various parts of the city, like downtown, on the Onondaga Creekwalk, or in Franklin Square.
Since July, the group has grown to typically draw more than 100 people. The camaraderie convinced Brown to trade in running alone or on treadmills for running with the group.
“I wanted to join the run club because I wanted to try something different. I’m used to running on the treadmill, but not outside,” Brown said. “I also loved the fact that people who looked like me were involved.”
Eli Green and Gabby Lloyd founded the Syracuse Run Club earlier this year with a few goals — making friends and getting healthy. Green and Lloyd began the weekly runs on the Fourth of July with about 20 other people. Over time, they started seeing more than 100 runners show up each week.
Each run goes for the length of a 5K race and usually ends at the same place it starts — usually at a restaurant. At the group’s gathering spot, you can often see the group mingling before and after the run.
Green and Lloyd started the group because they felt other run clubs weren’t for runners of all skill levels and were not as accessible to people of color. To build a community around the club, they’ve also tried introducing the group to new restaurants, running trails, and parts of the city.
To close out this season, the run club is participating in the annual Liverpool Turkey Trot on Nov. 28 at Onondaga Lake Park. Members of the Syracuse Run Club receive a $5 discount for their registration.
“[For] a lot of people, without the [Syracuse] Run Club, they wouldn’t be out here running three miles every Saturday or they wouldn’t be doing anything active at all,” said Eli Green, founder of Syracuse Run Club. “For a lot of people, this is their kick-start into a fitness journey.”
Lloyd and Green have known each other since high school. They both graduated from Henninger High School and became fitness enthusiasts. Lloyd is a cheerleading coach at Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School and Green is a former athlete who exercises regularly.
Separately, Lloyd and Green saw constant Instagram and Facebook posts about start-up run clubs in New York City and Washington, D.C. One day, Lloyd posted about wanting to start a run club in Syracuse. Green messaged her and said he wanted to do the same.
“I honestly feel like our city needs a community based on hobbies,” Lloyd said. “… You can just meet up and run.”
The pair wanted to offer their take on the traditional run club, which they feel is often seen as a space for hardcore runners. In June, they started planning out routes for about two dozen people. Lloyd and Green started adding social hours before and after each run.
So far, the group has hosted post-run hangouts at various locations, including Meier’s Creek, Salt City Market, Buried Acorn, and Al’s Wine and Whiskey Lounge.
They’ve also collaborated with Thrive in Healing, a local yoga collective, to stretch and do yoga.
As more people have shown up, the events have taken more and more planning.
“It’s been kind of crazy and overwhelming how it has unfolded, but it’s such a beautiful thing, ” Lloyd said. “Growing up in this city and now turning back to have something that we all could be a part of, It’s just a beautiful full circle.”
Everyone’s reasons vary as to why they join. Some members have formed friendships, developed and strengthened their fitness regimens or improved their mental health, Green said.
Green and Lloyd are now planning the club’s winter and spring 2025 running sessions.
They intend to keep the momentum going before members and the weather get too cold. Green says the weekly runs will most likely transition to biweekly sessions during the winter.
“It’s just really cool to see the diversity in the entire group. There’s no judgment, that’s what’s cool,” Green said. “Everyone’s there motivating each other, that’s the type of energy that we want to keep.”
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