Runners from Runners Roost in Quebec Square pace each other as they take to the paths across the Central Park regional park. Joggers gather Mondays after work not only to run together but also to de-stress, swap training tips, and share snacks at the store post-run. About two dozen runners turn out most weeks. Front Porch photo by Christie Gosch

Last summer Central Park resident Brandy Margeson found the extra nudge she needed to regain her fitness post-Covid at, unexpectedly, a coffee shop. “I saw that walkers and joggers were welcome at the Glissade running club, so I showed up, and they were all so friendly that I kept coming,” she says.

Showing up was Margeson’s first step in a renewed fitness journey spurred on by club members who quickly became friends. After a few months of a walk/jog program, Margeson tackled the longest club route of five miles. “I kept reminding myself, ‘It’ll feel good when you’re done,’ and the other runners kept me accountable,’” she recalls. These days she’s a club regular who cheers on newbie and inveterate runners alike.

Members from Glissade Coffee Company’s run club take off on their Sunday morning run, which winds across paths through Central Park. Runners may pick routes ranging from a nearly two-mile run to a five-miler. Many participants stick around post-run for coffee and conversation. Front Porch photo by Christie Gosch

For Sean Harwin, the entrepreneur behind Glissade Coffee Company, Margeson’s success story epitomizes not only why he started the club but, even more, why he launched the coffee shop and cafe. “There are very few times in life where you get to tangibly make an impact on the community you live in,” he says. “We are intentionally creating the opportunity and space for community to exist and for people who are interested to be a part of it.” After all, “being human is really hard, and when you get to spend time with other humans, it can make it easier.”

Since June, when the run club kicked off only three months after the coffee company first opened, the club has soared from 35 runners to up to 90 participants. On Sundays at 8am and Wednesdays at 6:30am, club members take off from the coffee shop, located near Stanley Marketplace in Aurora, and wind across Westerly Creek toward the Central Park regional playground before circling back for coffee and conversation.

“To be as inclusive as possible,” Harwin explains, Glissade features three routes ranging from almost two miles to the five-miler Margeson now runs with zeal. “We are a non-competitive club and have lots of pups and strollers,” says Harwin, who himself is an endurance athlete who began his own walk/jog program a year ago after taking a break from athletics to establish the business. “It makes my heart happy that people come to hang out with friends—consistently, on the run, before, and after. It’s the accountability, and it’s the camaraderie.”

The Cheluna Brewing Co. Run Club circles up before every run. Joggers and walkers may choose from a few mileage options, then gather at the finish line for a shared meal and discounted drinks. Front Porch photo by Christie Gosch

The popularity of running clubs has exploded in cities across the nation in recent years, and Denver is no exception. Glissade Run Club is just one of several that has experienced significant growth. Cheluna Brewing Co., located in the Stanley Marketplace, organizes club runs each Tuesday at 5:45pm. Brewery owners Jennifer and Javi Perez founded the club in 2017 “as a way to build community and to carve our niche in the Colorado craft beer scene,” Jennifer she says. The group rebooted after the pandemic and today has about 30 runners and walkers.

Cheluna’s club members may choose from a more exerting workout or a neighborhood jaunt at their own pace, with the group breaking into distances of one to six miles. For club members, the finish line looks all the sweeter thanks to a post-run shared meal and discounted drinks at the brewery.

Some local runners have discovered the joys of communal running within specialized clubs, such as the Denver chapter of Black Men Run (BMR) and Colorado Columbines Women’s Running Club. Raheem Sisson, captain of BMR Denver, says the club is an “awesome blessing” that connects “brothers who get each other.” He notes, “Sometimes people don’t want to talk about the racial division we struggle with, but with BMR, we can be ourselves, support each other.” The volunteer-led chapter offers trail runs or city 5Ks at least five days a week.

Black Men Run Denver captain Raheem Sisson celebrates with fellow runners at their Unity Collaboration Run Initiative downtown last month. Photo courtesy of Black Men Run Denver

BMR Denver, under the umbrella of the international BMR nonprofit, has jumped from a handful of members in 2020 to 48 active members. In April, the club introduced the Unity Collaboration Run Initiative, alongside Latinos Run Denver and Black Girls Run Denver, with a downtown celebration sponsored by REI and Upswell Studios. Going forward, the three chapters will hold monthly joint runs. “Anyone is welcome,” Sisson says. “We’re spreading a message of unity, love, and acceptance and making sure everyone has someone to run with.” To that end, members from BMR Denver join Glissade’s Sunday runs most weeks before enjoying coffee “as a partnership of runners,” says Harwin.

“We call ourselves ‘no man left behind,’” Sisson says. “We’re much more than a run club.” The BMR Denver chapter, which includes Sisson’s 12-year-old son through members into their late 60s, gathers frequently for non-running activities such as family picnics, ball games, and bike rides. “Many of us got into running for health reasons too,” Sisson observes, as heart disease is the number one cause of death among African American males.

For Serena Sampat, a Colorado Columbines Women’s Running Club board member, joining a group of like-minded runners was crucial to her “finishing a half marathon in a way that was a lot more fun,” she says. Colorado Columbines has 160 active members and plans Saturday and Sunday running and walking events, in addition to an annual destination trip to a race. “I think I’ll be a Columbine forever,” Sampat says. “Even if I’m just walking, I can enjoy the companionship.”

Athletes seeking more competitive runs may turn to clubs hosted by Runners Roost stores throughout northern Colorado. Runners Roost’s Central Park Club meets on Mondays at 5:45pm for a 5K. “We swap tips on running, and if people are training, they can push themselves a little more…together,” says manager Luke Siekmeier.

Alec Vance, who runs with the Glissade club, holds a 2:50 marathon pace and is known for his speedy clip. Yet on Sundays, he revels in the joy of running in community and cheerfully paces fellow club members. Referring to Glissade’s Sunday runs, he says, “In life, it’s important to have something to look forward to, and if you can get that on a weekly basis, you’ve hit the jackpot.”

Editor’s note: Since this story published, Glissade Coffee Company announced the temporary closure of the business and a cancellation of the running club. On May 6, the owners of Glissade posted an update stating the family is “navigating health issues and have made the difficult decision to close indefinitely.”