Members look to make a difference in their community while meeting fitness goals.
A common New Year’s resolution is to get in better shape, and the cheapest way to do that is to lace up the sneakers and get moving. But to run alone takes discipline and can be a little boring if you’re more of a social person.
Joining a running club could be just the push you need to meet those fitness goals.
According to RunForGood.com, those who join running clubs enjoy benefits such as built-in role models, networking opportunities, motivation, a sense of community and improved performance.
The idea of a running club may sound daunting for a beginner, but Rankin Running Club is offering a safe place for runners of all levels to plug in and get in shape.
“We don’t want to be that intimidating run club,” said Robert Graham, founder of Rankin Running Club. “Eighty percent of our members are not what you would call runners. We meet and we have fun.”
Graham said the weekly group, which meets on Monday nights at Burgers and Blues in Brandon, started because of a personal need of his.
“It started within the last year,” said Graham. “I wanted to meet people and work off some of the weight I gained during COVID.”
To Graham, the Rankin Running Club is about more than the one-or-two mile walk or run that its forty members meet for each week. The fifty percent draft beers and wine, the socializing, and the atmosphere of the back patio at Burgers and Blues brings that fun networking atmosphere to the club, but there’s more to be done.
“We like to do some things within the community,” Graham said.
So far, the Rankin Running Club has done a cemetery tour at Halloween, and hosted first responders who came to a meeting and helped the walkers and runners learn how to record their vitals before and after a run.
Even still, there’s more to be done.
“We want to be more civic-minded,” said Graham.
And so, the first Rankin Running Club 5K will take place at The Quarry trails in Brandon on September 16th. The event is being held in conjunction with a car show, and all proceeds will benefit The Wounded Warriors of Mississippi.
For more information about the Rankin Running Club, you can visit their website at rankinrunners.com
Courtney Ingle
