By Paige Stanley/UW News Lab

Ready. Set. Go. Every Thursday night, Capitol Hill runners of all paces take off through Cal Anderson Park for a weekly group run featuring a 5k loop through Volunteer Park and a social hour at a neighborhood beer stop to follow.

This is not a race.

“When you know there’s a group of people who are going to meet regardless of the weather, it gives you an extra bonus to know … I am not going to run on my own,” Sergey Voronkin of the E Pine running shoe store Fleet Feet says. “When you have already been multiple times you’ve made a connection and friends, so this adds extra accountability and extra motivation.”

Voronkin, who works as the Inventory Manager at the Capitol Hill store, hosts the weekly runs. When he started leading the Fleet Feet runs in September, around a dozen runners would attend the pub runs. Now a pack of 50 to 60 runners rumble across the streets of Capitol Hill for the weekly run.

Fleet Feet is a national chain for runners with 260 stores across the country that has been part of Capitol Hill for years. In addition to selling running gear, Fleet Feet has training programs and running groups. A second Seattle Fleet Feet store is located in Ballard.

The Thursday Pub Run through the Capitol Hill neighborhood is one of the three weekly runs organized by the Capitol Hill store. While the Tuesday evening and Saturday morning runs are longer and generally ran at a faster pace, the Pub Runs follow a more casual “party pace.”

Runners meet at the Fleet Feet store, walk across the street to the Bobby Morris playfield, participate in group stretching, and then take off toward Volunteer Park. The faster paced runners trailblaze the route, while the rest of the pack follows suit. The route is set up to avoid busy intersections and hills. Upon return, runners stretch, do a quick core workout or head to Stoup Brewing where there is room to stretch out, socialize, and refresh.

Three-time marathon runner and University of Washington student Bella Distante heard about the Fleet Feet Capitol Hill runs from her friend’s coworker. She has enjoyed meeting new runners each week.

“No matter your pace or age, it is super cool to see all of these people coming together because of a shared love for a sport,” Distante said. “Between training for similar races or making small talk through the trails of the Arboretum, running with other people adds joy to an otherwise tough activity and you never know where these connections will lead.”

Will Muckian  who helps with the Fleet Feet runs when needed said that the biggest struggle that the running community faces is inclusivity. It can be intimidating to join a group when it is dominated by serious runners. Muckian says Fleet Feet’s runs have challenged this stereotype by creating a space for all paces to feel welcome.

Like other running clubs nationwide, social media has played a big role in increasing participation. Voronkin worked to grow Fleet Feet Seattle’s Instagram and Strava presence to expand awareness. Each run, he posts a picture of the runners to show the turnout and create a sense of belonging for those who attend.

The motivation grows when the reward for the run is a trip to Stoup Brewing, located two blocks away from the Fleet Feet store and Cal Anderson Park. This run club to brewery pipeline is a popular phenomenon in Seattle with multiple run clubs in other neighborhoods following similar routines.

Stoup sets aside tables for Fleet Feet runners each Thursday to congregate for a beer and bonding.

Runners at Stoup will discuss weekend plans, share contact information, and plan activities outside of run club.

“On top of running, a bunch of folks who’ve been running with us for a few years have now in a way self-organized. They have these special group chats for their interests,” Voronkin said. There are Fleet Feet runners who have joined book clubs, vegan clubs, ultra-marathon groups, trail runners, and more.

Runners can register here for Fleet Feet’s Thursday Pub Runs. The group sets off at 6 PM every Thursday from Cal Anderson Park.

The Journalism and Public Interest Communication News Lab at the University of Washington gives advanced journalism students an opportunity to build a dynamic clip portfolio by reporting for any of 70 client news outlets in the greater Seattle area. CHS is proud to work with young journalists and feature their work.

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