Finding Community in Running with Founder of A Running List Lauren Mantha

Guest [00:00:00]: It's a great way to meet new people. Like you said, connection. Like, that's one of my favorite things about run clubs is the social aspect, staying active, being accountable together, especially in the winter months, when running outside isn't necessarily as fun if you have snow and you have to put on several layers before going outside. Run Club's really is just a great place to meet new people, get outside, and get active, and just have fun.

Cory Nagler [00:00:28]: One of my personal favorite things about running is the community around it. That's why I was so excited to interview today's guest on the show, Lauren Mantha. She's the founder of A Running List, a website mapping out global running communities, including their meeting times and Instagram pages. It's already been featured in the Canadian Running Magazine, and she joined me to talk about her journey of transforming an Instagram post into a tool runners around the world can use to find communities near them. It's hard to believe Lauren only started running a little over a year ago in 2023 to raise money for children's hospitals. Flash forward a year, and she's become an advocate for making the sport accessible to new and experienced runners alike. I love speaking to runners who are genuinely excited about the sport, and Lauren is one of the most passionate runners I've ever met. During the conversation, we talked about how and why she built a running list and some helpful advice for finding a running club that fits your needs.

Cory Nagler [00:01:21]: With that, let's get started on my interview with Lauren Mantha. Hello, runners, and welcome to the Run to the Top podcast, where our goal is making you a better runner with each and every episode. I'm your showrunner, Corey Nagler. And I'm not an elite runner, but together, we'll explore new strategies and topics to take your running to the next level. This podcast is created and produced by the expert team of coaches at runnersconnect.net, where you can find the best running information on the Internet as well as training plans to fit every runner and every budget. ARC, I have a fun interview today. I've got with me Lauren Mantha, founder of A Running List, a website that keeps track of local running clubs and where they run and when. So, Lauren, welcome to the show.

Guest [00:02:17]: Hi, Corey. Thank you so much for having

Cory Nagler [00:02:19]: me. Absolutely. It's my pleasure. And I think actually a a pretty funny coincidence in terms of how I first, learned about this, you being featured through the Canadian Running Magazine where I also do some work. So, congrats on the feature there.

Guest [00:02:34]: Oh, thanks so much. Yeah. It was kind of a surreal moment, not something you do every day, but really fun opportunity and glad it created this connection. That's awesome.

Cory Nagler [00:02:44]: Yeah. Definitely. And on the topic of connection, I think our running list is such a cool tool for runners who are looking for those types of connections. But I just wanna take a step back on this piece. I I mentioned that this is something which helps provide information to runners about run clubs in their area. But for some people, they may be less familiar about the idea of a running club. So do you maybe wanna shed some light on what exactly a running club is and how they help to create a sense of community?

Guest [00:03:13]: Yeah. Absolutely. That's a great question. Might as well just go back back to the basics. A running club I mean, for me, personally, I didn't really know running clubs that were free existed. I thought they were all paid, but there are actually hundreds of free running clubs that I've now learned of through this whole experience, that anyone can join. And simply, like, our running club is just a group of people who come together to run, whether that be competitively or more socially. You can have coached ones, with training plans.

Guest [00:03:47]: Some are more unique. Maybe they go for coffee after or stop for a beer or, have different starting points, different group size, different paces. There's so many different varieties within running clubs, which I think is really special because there's a space for anyone's wishes or, kind of what they're looking for within a group. If you want that more social or want that more competitive, there will be a group for you. And it's a great way to meet new people. Like you said, connection. Like, that's one of my favorite things about run clubs is the social aspect, staying active, being accountable together, especially in the winter months, when running outside isn't necessarily as fun if you have snow and you have to put on several layers before going outside. Yeah.

Guest [00:04:37]: Run Clubs really is just a great place to meet new people, get outside to get active, and just have fun.

Cory Nagler [00:04:46]: Yeah. I couldn't agree more. And I think, Lauren, like, like myself, you you live in Toronto, and we have some great run clubs here. A couple of Black Toe or the Runner shop are some of the first that come to mind. So I'm I'm glad you've been able to find that sense of community here. Curious, just before you figured out, this idea that you have run clubs that are free to join, what did you do for most of your runs? Were they solo, or were you still able to find groups?

Guest [00:05:12]: Well, I started running in May last year. And when I was running, I was just running by myself, completely until I started, joining first run group that I went to in November. Yeah. Up until that point, I was join running by myself, and I thought run clubs, you had to pay for them. And I didn't want to pay to join a run club at that point because I was fine with running by myself. But the more I looked into it and, I had people that I followed on Instagram who were posting about run club, so I started learning a little bit more there and realized that there were some free ones near me. And then once I went to the first one, it just kind of, like, opened the doors of learning that there were actually so many free run clubs I had no idea about.

Cory Nagler [00:06:00]: Yeah. I'm surprised to hear that you picked up running only a year ago because you sound to be so knowledgeable of the local running community.

Guest [00:06:08]: Yes. Well, I really kind of threw myself in the deep end, and I just immersed myself in the whole community. So, I did that. That was my own doing, but it's because I love it. So, yeah, it's it's hasn't even or, yeah, it's just been a year now, which is crazy to think.

Cory Nagler [00:06:25]: Congratulations on the 1 year, running anniversary, I guess.

Guest [00:06:28]: Thank you.

Cory Nagler [00:06:30]: So I I think you touched on this a bit in your answer to the last question, but I'd love to know more about what inspired you to create a running list and, in particular, the story about how it became a website. Because my understanding is that initially, this all started out with an Instagram post. Is that right?

Guest [00:06:45]: That yes. That's correct. So, yes, like I said, I went to my 1st run club, and then from there, kind of opened the doors with learning about all these new and other various free run clubs I didn't know existed, and that was just from talking to people at the run clubs. People would say, oh, like, I'm going to this one in a couple days. You should join, or did you know about this run club? And the more I talked to people, the more I learned about different running clubs, and I was just kind of shocked to know that there were so many. And I know people had kind of their own mental lists or ones that they went to often, but I had never found anywhere for it to be written. So I started kind of keeping track of it myself and going to more and posting about them on social media, just to share about it, and I wanted to create kind of one spot where all of them could live. I obviously learned that Instagram couldn't hold all of it, but, initially, yes, it was a carousel post of just the days of the week with all of the run clubs that I knew about listed on each post.

Guest [00:07:51]: So, like, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etcetera. And then when I posted it, the comment section was just filled with other people saying, don't forget about this club or this club from places like Waterloo and Ottawa and, other people tagging each other, and I just thought, oh, this is amazing. Like, keep adding. I wanna I wanna learn more. I wanna have, like, a great compilation of all run clubs. And I wanted to do a part 2, but it grew so much that I knew I couldn't do a part 2 on Instagram because the font would have to be so small. So I thought this would have to be a website, which would be a different kind of undertaking. And I was at the gym one day, and I was just kind of thinking as I was in the gym, my mind was wandering and I thought, oh, a running list could be kind of a cool name if I was to ever make a website.

Guest [00:08:39]: And I thought, well, if I look up a running list and the domain is taken like it's not meant to be so I I looked it up and I typed in a runninglist.com and it's domain not found. And I was like, oh, okay. That means I could make the website. And so I just decided to make it my project, over the Christmas break. I was in school doing the public relations certificate at Humber College and that's how I spent my winter break was creating the website from the initial post and all of the comments in the section. And it just kind of has been growing from there. I launched the website January 9th. And since then, we've gone from just Toronto to across Canada and into Europe, which we hope to keep growing too.

Cory Nagler [00:09:25]: That's incredible. I would imagine this post got quite a bit of traction. Do you mind sharing how many likes or views or some kind of metric, on the Instagram post?

Guest [00:09:35]: Yeah. Let me actually go back to it, then I can give you the specific numbers.

Cory Nagler [00:09:39]: I'm I'm excited to hear this. If it if it's made the way I I I think you mentioned you had been on a couple podcasts about this in addition to the, to the magazines. I imagine it's quite a few people who have seen the post.

Guest [00:09:52]: That's true. Yeah. I guess people might go and look back. So I posted it December 16th last year. It got 734 likes. 992 people saved it. 382 people shared it. It reached over 12,000 people.

Guest [00:10:14]: So, yeah. And it's safe to say, like, there was a need for this kind of thing, and, I'm just really grateful and happy to be the person to put this together because, I love sharing this, and I love that it's reached so many people and hearing the feedback from people saying that they've found a run club near them because of it and have made friends. And, honestly, that's just the whole goal of it at the end of the day. So it's been amazing.

Cory Nagler [00:10:43]: It's incredible. And this was all from your personal account?

Guest [00:10:47]: Correct. Yes. I didn't make the running list account until the website was launched, so that's a new thing as well.

Cory Nagler [00:10:55]: Very interesting. I actually didn't know that there was a separate account for running list.

Guest [00:11:00]: Yes. It's just a running list on Instagram, so it has its own space.

Cory Nagler [00:11:04]: Okay. I'll, I'll be sure to plug the Instagram both for yourself and for, for running list in our show notes.

Guest [00:11:10]: That wasn't wasn't a wasn't a plug, but, yes, it is it is there.

Cory Nagler [00:11:16]: I I'm curious. I, I did some kind of snooping around on the website just to see some of the clubs and what the information was there. And one thing I see you mention a lot about these run clubs, about the question of pacing, because I think a lot of runners worry that there won't be somebody running the same pace, is the idea of a party pace. Can you shed some light on what exactly that means?

Guest [00:11:36]: Yeah. Okay. Great question. I I have had feedback saying that it would be great to add a pace in with all the run clubs. The thing that I have found is run club paces vary week to week, day to day depending on what who's they're running and how long are they running, and it just varies too much to kind of add that kind of information in. So I always recommend to people if they wanna know the pace of the group, if it's not very explicitly stated, to DM them. Like, all the running groups are very open to answering any questions. But party pace is I think Google probably explains it as, like, a comfortable, conversational pace.

Guest [00:12:18]: It's just kind of supposed to be like your easy run. You know, you're you're exerting energy, but not so much that you can't talk. So party pace is just kind of where most of, I guess, longer runs are done. Your quote unquote maybe zone 2. But, yeah, party pace is just so you can also talk out of run club, really.

Cory Nagler [00:12:42]: Yeah. And I I love, love the running lingo already with the zone 2, even if you do consider yourself relatively new to running.

Guest [00:12:49]: Yes. It's running has a whole other language, I swear, and I'm still learning a lot of different terms. So

Cory Nagler [00:12:57]: There there are some weird ones out there. We could probably do a whole podcast just on, funny running language.

Guest [00:13:03]: We could we could have a whole other list.

Cory Nagler [00:13:06]: Absolutely. I think you talked about how a running club obviously, it started local, but it's grown to the point where you have a lot of clubs across Canada and Europe featured there. I'd love to know about how you actually go about adding clubs to this list, whether you're doing the research or it's crowdsourced, and also about plans to expand. Because I think the majority of our listeners are in the US and would probably love to see some of their local run clubs featured on this.

Guest [00:13:32]: And I would love that too. Mostly for right now, we've been getting a lot of run clubs sent to us, or we have a form on the website that you can fill out if you want your run club listed, on the map. So, I work on this with my friend Jenna Malone. We've been friends since high school, and she helps me a lot with adding all of, like, looking at all these forms that come in, people sharing run clips with us on Instagram, whether that just be, like, sharing a link or DM ing us to be on the list. So we actually don't have to do a ton of researching ourselves. The amount of people that contact us is keeps us very busy, and busy enough that we don't have to research any, which is great. And I love the enthusiasm, and I love that everyone wants to be on the list because I want them there too.

Cory Nagler [00:14:25]: Do you add it after people suggested, or are you going out and constantly looking for new clubs to add?

Guest [00:14:31]: We manually add all of the clubs, that come in just through people contacting us. So we don't really do any outreach. We have a lot of people contacting us to be on the list. We have many more to add still. We've been trying to keep up with the amount of people contacting us, but we've been doing a pretty good job. Regarding the states, we have had lots of people contacting us from there, but just because it's an unfamiliar area for me, I don't know the running scene there as much. So if you are listening and you wanna be added to the map, please contact us. We would love to get, the run clubs in the states, just as full as the other areas.

Cory Nagler [00:15:15]: I love it. An open invite to all our listeners to write in. And is the is the Instagram the best place to do that?

Guest [00:15:21]: Yes. Either through Instagram DMs or on the contact page of a runninglistdot com. There's a form you can fill out super quick, just your run club name, where and when, any handles you wanna be added like Instagram or Strava, and and that's it.

Cory Nagler [00:15:36]: Perfect. We can, we can send a link, to the to that, place as well where they can submit questions or comments. Perfect. Yeah. I wanted to ask a question as well about, your work and how it relates to this, because my understanding is that this is not your full time job. And, I believe from looking around a little, you you actually work as a nurse. Can you tell us a little bit more about what it is that you actually do? And I'd love to know about any connection to a running list and if you find that the empathy that you've gained or the work that you put into creating a running list, helps with that work in any way.

Guest [00:16:13]: Yeah. Good question. Currently, I am working I just started an internship, in a different field than nursing, so in public relations and communications, but my undergraduate degree is in nursing, and I worked as a nurse for a couple years before deciding to go back to school. Within nursing, absolutely having empathy was a big part of the role. I think my passion for helping people, within the health and wellness space transfers over, just because I've always wanted to do something that helps promote health. I love, like, the upstream thinking that goes with health promotion, and trying to implement healthy lifestyles and habits. So running has just been that outlet for me and a great place for me to share that kind of passion that I have in the health and wellness space, and my background as a nurse kind of amplifies that and I think adds to it. And I can kind of transfer some of those skills over into the running area.

Guest [00:17:25]: I also think, like, joining a run club can be scary, and I I definitely empathize with that and because that was me. I was very nervous to go to the very first run club. I didn't know anybody there. I didn't know if I should bring headphones or not. I didn't really know what if I was wearing the right shoes, if the people were gonna be where they said they would be. So I definitely relate to that, and I wanted to make something that removed a barrier to access the running community and just make it a little bit easier to go to 1 if you knew where they were, if you knew one was closer to you, if maybe you were able to DM the group before going and feel a little bit better about it, maybe even knowing that I go to the group sometimes times and you might see me there and you'll see a familiar face could be helpful. So, yeah, I think being a nurse and just caring and and trying to implement health and, healthy habits into life is all kind of intermixed into where I am today.

Cory Nagler [00:18:32]: And, I think in public relations, I'm sure personal branding plays a big role. Are you kind of known within your working circle as, as the runner? Or how do you like to present yourself?

Guest [00:18:47]: It's funny. I I never really thought I would be introduced or thought of in that way, but, yes, I have been. It's like, oh, this is our Lauren our new intern here and she's a runner which I love. Yes the the PR skills have have come in handy with communication, especially when creating kind of social media content or even writing on the website.

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Cory Nagler [00:21:08]: Yeah. I I love the interplay. It sounds like it kinda helps in both directions in terms of the running helping with, with your work, but also vice versa.

Guest [00:21:15]: Exactly.

Cory Nagler [00:21:17]: Yeah. I I think it's, it's really refreshing, this discussion around how at first you were so uncomfortable approaching these run clubs and have really become an advocate for them. I think it's quite likely that a lot of people listening may have those same kind of hesitations, whether it's not sure what equipment to bring or what pieces to run at run clubs. Would you have any words to share with somebody if they're not sure whether a running club is right for them?

Guest [00:21:43]: Yeah. I think if you have hesitations to go because it's something new and it's something you've never done before, that's completely normal and completely valid. And being nervous or hesitant to go to a run club makes sense, and I think a lot of people probably experienced that before going unless you have maybe someone who goes there and they're your friend and they're gonna go with you. If you're going by yourself, I say go for it. Embrace the discomfort. Once you get there, just really put yourself into the deep end, embrace the discomfort even more, meet someone new, introduce yourself to someone you've never met before, and you might be really surprised to see how welcoming everyone in the running community really is, at least from my own experience. Every time I did that, everyone was so open, to getting to know me, inviting me to other run clubs, talking after and getting coffee, and it might just be, you know, something that you you decide or or realize is the right community for you, or maybe you learn about a different running community or something else by going. Or maybe you decide that, hey.

Guest [00:23:06]: This isn't for you, and that's okay. And at least you went and you tried it. So I think run clubs are a place to be social, and people who go there know that. And so everyone's ready to talk and learn new about new people and meet new people, and and you're probably might not be the only new person there too. So a lot of times I went and then I would say, hi. I'm Lauren, and they would introduce themselves and I would say, oh, this is my first time here and they'll they'd say, oh, me too. And then you already have something that you have in common. So, I'd say if you're nervous or you've never done it before, that's okay.

Guest [00:23:41]: Go for it. Try it. Worst case, you don't like it, and then that's it. Then you know, and then you can try something new. But, hopefully, you end up really liking it and, and enjoying the running clubs and the running community, and it becomes just a fun part of your life.

Cory Nagler [00:23:58]: Yeah. I couldn't agree more. And I think just to add on to that, I I find it's pretty much guaranteed you're gonna meet somebody new because, you know, everyone's always friendly and willing to introduce themselves. But if there's any way to meet somebody new, it's spending, you know, 2 hours plus often on your easy long run on the weekend, jogging side by side someone. You're you're definitely gonna get into some interesting conversations.

Guest [00:24:20]: Exactly. Exactly. And it's fun because you can kind of, run a little faster, run a little slower. If you hear people behind you talking about something different, you can join different conversations. So it's it's great.

Cory Nagler [00:24:32]: Yeah. Yeah. And you you also talked about how, you know, it it may not even be for everyone. Maybe you find you like running solo, or maybe you wanna try out a different club. And I I think it's so cool about the run club community that there's so many different clubs for so many different types of runners, and you've helped to bring those together in a cool way. If anyone's interested in trying to seek out those run clubs that really fit well for them, be it their lifestyle or paces or goals in the sport, what advice would you give them?

Guest [00:25:01]: Yeah. I think I guess for that, it would just be doing a little bit of of of research and maybe outreach and asking people. I think for people that have no idea where to start, I kinda just recommend thinking, okay. What's closest to you? And then going from there, maybe there's 3 that are near you and then you can look at all the 3 and okay. This one starts in the morning. This one starts in the evening. Which day is better for me? And then from there, you can narrow it down even more, maybe asking the the group about pace or how many people usually show up, if you like a smaller group or a larger group, or maybe you're coming from work and you need a place to to drop your bags and they're stored securely for you while you go and run because not every run club offers a place for that, and maybe that's a deal breaker for you. So I think it's if you have no idea where to start, I would just recommend starting with what's close by to you or where you were working that day or whatever is more convenient, just to make it easier for you, and then kind of narrow it there down from there to what you would want if you want a fast group or a slower group.

Guest [00:26:09]: That's my recommendation anyways.

Cory Nagler [00:26:11]: Yeah. I think that's a great recommendation. And I also like the piece about the dropping your bags off because it's true. Some will

Guest [00:26:17]: have a

Cory Nagler [00:26:17]: place and and some won't. But I I find probably in in part for this reason, to deal with not having somewhere to drop your bags. The most popular method of commuting to these run clubs I find is just to run there.

Guest [00:26:30]: Yes. It's so true. You run to the run club, you run, and then you run home. And sometimes I don't know where to put all of my stuff, but we make it work.

Cory Nagler [00:26:39]: The the hardest part too is trying to map out, your total mileage between getting there, the run itself, and and getting home so it works out and you don't end up running way more than expected.

Guest [00:26:48]: No. It's so true. The the 5 kilometer run club run might end up being your long run for that week if it takes you 5 kilometers to get there and back.

Cory Nagler [00:26:57]: I think, a a lot of people who listen to this are probably on coaching plans with, with their coaches. So maybe make sure that, if your coach is prescribing 10 miles that you, account for that, altogether with whatever the run club, suggests. And, again, I think, also, in terms of mapping out what your mileage is gonna be, oftentimes, these run clubs will have different distances that you can choose from. Lorena, for yourself, when you're trying to decide what to join, is is that something you factor in as well?

Guest [00:27:29]: I guess it depends on the week. I kind of take things week by week. I don't have a really strict plan I have to follow because I make it myself, and it's really DIY, and it's probably not amazing. But, sometimes I end up showing up to run clubs, and I know they'll have maybe, like, a 5, 10, or 15 option. And then I just say, okay. I'll start with the 5, see how I'm feeling, and I'll stick around for the 10 if if I'm feeling up to it. Sometimes it's just a a game time decision.

Cory Nagler [00:28:01]: You're you're more ambitious than me. I think my mentality is always start with 10 and then cut back if you need to. It's it's hard to hurt once you talk yourself into 5 to then go double the distance.

Guest [00:28:11]: Yes. But if you get into some good conversations, it's nice out. You you know, after the 5, you you start feeling a little bit better and you get into the groove. So for me, anyway, sometimes I feel better after the first five, and I wanna stick around.

Cory Nagler [00:28:25]: That's true. And maybe a little peer pressure too from those around you planning 10.

Guest [00:28:29]: Right. Yeah. Oh, why are you leaving? Yeah.

Cory Nagler [00:28:32]: It can be dangerous.

Guest [00:28:34]: Yeah.

Cory Nagler [00:28:36]: For yourself, as as you're doing this DIY approach to picking who to run with, do you make use of a running list yourself? Or or how is it that you decide which clubs to run to?

Guest [00:28:45]: Mhmm. Yeah. For me, I kind of, I guess, take my own advice in the what is closest to me, what works with my schedule, and that's pretty much it, depending on the week. If if I know I need to get more miles in, I'll I'll pick more clubs to join just to keep myself accountable, something to look forward to, talk to my friends, and coordinate, like, which run clubs maybe we wanna go to together. So that's pretty much how I pick which run clubs I'm gonna go to. I also really like trying to go to new run clubs as often as I can just because I like meeting new people and seeing what they're like and understanding how their club works and posting about it as well just so that other people know that it it exists and it might work for other people too.

Cory Nagler [00:29:32]: Mhmm. And, do you have any favorite run clubs in the city that you wanna shout out?

Guest [00:29:38]: I don't have any favorites because I would have to shout out all of them because all of them that I go to have been great. And I can't I'm like a parent. I can't pick a favorite.

Cory Nagler [00:29:47]: Could you give us 2 or 3 favorites? They're still too hard to pick among them.

Guest [00:29:52]: No. Still too hard. There are ones that I'll go to more often just because they're they're close to me, but every single one that I've been to has been wonderful. And I've met all new people at all of them, and they all have their own different atmosphere and their own culture, and and they're all great in their own in their own way. And it's it's hard to compare apples and oranges. You know?

Cory Nagler [00:30:14]: Yeah. They're they're all very different and, totally understand where you're coming from on that front. As, as you're piecing together or creating a running club and or a running list rather, and now kind of building it out to add more. What was kind of the ultimate mission that you were hoping to achieve? I think at its surface, it's a tool to help find different running clubs, but it sounds like you really had kind of a a higher goal in terms of, how you wanted to grow the running community.

Guest [00:30:45]: Yeah. I think, honestly, our mission is just to make the running world and the running community more accessible. Like, at the end of the day, that is all I really wanted was to make it easier for people to learn about it and access a resource for it, just to make sure it's easily discoverable and we can all enjoy the sport together. On a larger scale, I would love to reach more people and continue sharing the community with others. If I could have every single burn club that exists right now on the map somewhere, I would. It's just a process, but that's really it. I just wanted to make the running community more accessible because it's had such a wonderful impact on my life, and I just wanna be able to share share that with others and make sure it's easy for people to access.

Cory Nagler [00:31:37]: Yeah. And I I I think knowledge is such a barrier to accessibility. That'll you know, for a lot of people, they might just know that these running clubs exist. Do you do you do any work with the run clubs themselves to help promote them?

Guest [00:31:52]: Aside from kind of going there myself and creating reels and helping to just spread awareness about the club and the fact that it's there, I don't necessarily, like, work with any of the running groups, but just organically, I help promote them as much as I can. And, also, sometimes, like, some races, I'll help to talk about if there's a race coming up or if different rung clubs have maybe an event that they're hosting and they tag me in it. Like, I'll try to reshare it as much as I can just so it reaches a larger audience and more people have the opportunity to join.

Cory Nagler [00:32:27]: Yeah. That's great. I I think I've noticed, certainly, at least in the Toronto community, that these run clubs have gotten bigger and bigger, and there's just so much interest in the sport.

Guest [00:32:35]: Yes. And especially now that the weather is getting a little warmer, I've found that a lot of the running groups are are getting even bigger, and I think the sport of running has grown a lot too. So everyone's just kind of excited, and I think the summer is gonna be a fun running season.

Cory Nagler [00:32:51]: Yeah. I as much as it can be tough training in the summer heat, I I love it so much more than the winter time because I I find trying to train through darkness and snow is just a different kind of beast.

Guest [00:33:03]: It really is. It's it's not not always ideal.

Cory Nagler [00:33:07]: Yeah. That that is when the run clubs really come in key though, is to have those other people to train with and drag you out.

Guest [00:33:12]: Absolutely. Accountability. That's what you need.

Cory Nagler [00:33:15]: Yeah. For sure. So I do think that a running list solves a massive problem in the running community, which is, as you said, this accessibility piece and knowing where to find out, your people, if you will, or those who have similar goals in in the sport. Do you see any other gaps in the running community that still need, maybe fixing isn't the right term, but other opportunities for people to grow the sport. And and if it has to do with the community piece or inclusivity as well, anything else you think people could do to help with that? But, I I I think it's it's interesting how you've managed to find such a, such a need in the community and and fill it with a a simple website.

Guest [00:33:54]: Thank you. Yeah. I think, really, what's important for people to to know is that, I think people maybe underestimate themselves and think, like, well, I'm not fast enough. I can't go, or I'll I'll never be fast enough. I won't be able to talk. They're you know, I won't be able to keep up. I'm just not gonna go. I've I've had a lot of people say that to me or when I hosted an event, people came for the very first time and told me that, you know, they're not sure if they'll be able to keep up and and they always do.

Guest [00:34:25]: And and I think, the running community maybe seems just because I'm in it, maybe I don't see this. But thinking back, it can be intimidating and a whole group of people running, it looks really fast. If you've never done that before, it might be like, oh, I'll I'll never get to that point. But I really think that, that people maybe underestimate themselves. And I honestly think, if you wanna go to a run club, I think no. I think I know you can, and I think you just have have to tell yourself that you can you can join because, it might look intimidating maybe from the outside, but trust me, the groups are extremely welcoming. If they say that no one gets left behind, no one gets left behind, and you will have someone there with you. And you don't have to it if if you're at the back, that's okay.

Guest [00:35:19]: I love running at the back of the group. So I think maybe just the mental barrier sometimes of joining the running community might be there, but I think it's just important to remember that you can join a run club and you will have people there with you to run with.

Cory Nagler [00:35:34]: That was so wholesome. I I think that's an incredible message.

Guest [00:35:39]: Yeah. I think it's just important to remember that, you know, we can do hard things and it might seem difficult at first, but once you get into it, you'll get into a groove, and you'll laugh about it later.

Cory Nagler [00:35:52]: And do you do you think that's really the solution here in terms of helping people overcome that barrier is just that that discussion and encouragement?

Guest [00:36:00]: Yeah. Or if you see someone new, like my myself or anyone in a running club, if you see someone you've never seen before or maybe they look like they're new or just everyone is already so welcoming, but I think it's just important to, you know, introduce ourselves too. Like, maybe people who are new don't always have to do be introducing. Go up to someone you've never met before too. Even if you have, like, a solidified group of people in your front club that you always hang out with, maybe try to introduce yourself to one new person, and it might make all the difference for that person that you chatted with them. And because of that, they're gonna come back again next week. And I think it's just, like, really, really, really honing into that inclusivity and embracing, welcoming new members into the group and ask them, like, have you been here before? Maybe they'll tell you they're afraid of their pace and you can easily just say, you know what? No. It's okay.

Guest [00:36:52]: Like, no one gets left behind. Don't worry. And, help them just relax and feel more comfortable right away.

Cory Nagler [00:36:58]: Yeah. It can be nerve wracking as you're waiting around to get going in the run, but I find it's amazing how much people open up as soon as you get going.

Guest [00:37:06]: I know. It's great.

Cory Nagler [00:37:07]: Yep. So as we kind of start to wrap it up, I would love to know about what's coming next both for yourself, but also for a running list, and if you have any plans for the future of the website.

Guest [00:37:20]: Mhmm. Well, like I had mentioned, I would love to add every single run club that exists right now onto the map, but that is unfortunately just gonna be a work in progress. I, I work full time and and so does my friend Jenna that helps me with the website. So this is, something that we do in our spare time, but, I love doing it and will continue doing it as fast as I can. So continuing to add friend clubs is definitely, top of mind. I'd love to continue to do events within the community just because I love, seeing everyone in person as much as I love messaging and answering questions online. It's always really nice to do it in person as well. So I'd like to do some more events.

Guest [00:38:09]: And kind of keeping an open mind, I, have a couple ideas here and there. Nothing really fully fleshed out yet with where to take the the website next, but there are lots of different cool opportunities. I don't know. Stay tuned. I think it's gonna be really fun. I'm not sure what's gonna happen next, other than, of course, the expansion of the maps and the clubs. I think there will be expansion into different areas. I just don't know exactly what that will look like just yet, but it's coming, and it'll be cool.

Cory Nagler [00:38:44]: Stay tuned. That's a fun cliffhanger. And for yourself, do you have any any races or events coming up?

Guest [00:38:52]: Yeah. I'm gonna be running the 10 k TO, which is kind of a fun race because it's the unofficial run club, championship. So you can sign up with your run club. I don't know if you're familiar with it, but you can sign up under your run club's name and then, compete against the other run clubs within the city in in Toronto and GTA, or you can sign up as an individual. So that's gonna be a fun run. I haven't done that one before. And I've never raced a 10 k either, so I'm excited for that in the summer.

Cory Nagler [00:39:23]: That's super exciting. And I I actually ran that one last year, and it's a phenomenal event. I I also think it's funny to call out since most of our listeners will probably operate in miles. Just or the conversion is usually clear since 10 k since the common distance, but 6.2 miles. I'm glad they didn't call it, 6.2 t o because I don't think it has the same ring to it.

Guest [00:39:45]: Not quite. No. Unless you did something with the 6 in the 6 because that's what Toronto is called sometimes. But, again, maybe that would be a mouthful.

Cory Nagler [00:39:54]: Oh, I didn't even think of that. I I like that, that approach to it.

Guest [00:39:58]: There you go. Always thinking.

Cory Nagler [00:40:01]: Any any specific goals for your first ten k?

Guest [00:40:05]: This one is just I think I'm just gonna have fun with it. I'm not sure how I'll do running in the summer, so we'll see in the heat.

Cory Nagler [00:40:12]: I think having fun is a fantastic goal, and that's a perfect note to end off on. Lauren, thank you so much. This was a ton of fun.

Guest [00:40:20]: Thanks so much. Really happy to discuss this with you today, Corey.

Cory Nagler [00:40:24]: My pleasure. And for everyone listening, happy running. Thanks for listening to the Run to the Top podcast. I'm the showrunner at Runners Connect, where as always, our mission is to help you become a better runner with every episode. You can connect with me on Instagram at corey_ Nagler. Birth your Strava by searching Corey Nagler. And please consider connecting with the rest of our team at runnersconnect.net. If you're loving the show, you can help us reach more runners by leaving a rating on Spotify or Apple Podcast.

Cory Nagler [00:41:06]: Lastly, if you want bonus content, behind the scenes experiences with guests, and premier access to contests, and consider subscribing to our newsletter by going to runnersconnect.netforward/ podcast. I'll see you on the next show. But until then, happy running, everyone.