Still running strong after more than thirty years

• Runners of all levels welcome
• Great place to make new friends
• Beneficial to mental and physical well-being

Waking up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning may not be for everyone, but for this group of dedicated runners, it’s tradition.

The Kelowna Running Club (KRC) is helping to create a diverse community of like minded individuals who love to run, and share their love of it with others.

The club originally formed in the late 70s when a small rag-tag group of individuals found themselves always running together on Saturdays.

This started a weekly tradition that has carried on for over 30 years.

Vice President of KRC, Joshua Wyatt, told Kelowna10 he just wants to create an inclusive environment.

“I think the club offers a kind of supportive helping hand for people that are looking to make new friends, [and] find people with similar interests,” Wyatt said.

The club has runners of all levels, and even people who walk.

“I’d encourage anybody that has even a passing interest in running to come down,” he said.

According to Wyatt, running is fantastic for your mental well-being and physical health.

“[It’s] something to get you out of bed in the morning and get you active. I’ve never been on a run and came back and thought ‘I wish I hadn’t gone running today’,” he said.

COVID-19 has made it difficult to plan in-person events for the club, so the group has resorted to virtual get togethers.

“We actually have an event coming up in March, which is our virtual 100 kilometer challenge where we encourage runners to get out and run 100 kilometers…” Wyatt said.

He added the goal is to get people out there, get people more motivated, and get people running.

“Come and join the Kelowna Running Club. We run every Saturday at 7:30 in the morning. Come check us out if you’re interested.”

For well over 15 years, Janice Bradshaw has been a member of the club.

She’s always loved running, but wasn't particularly into the long distances. Once she joined the club, however, things changed.

“You’re doing your long runs - the two to three hours long runs. That’s a lot of time for talking, and sharing experiences, and talking about your week,” Bradshaw said.

She added not only are the people in the club running buddies, but they have also become best friends.

“You have a lot of the same interests. [They’re] very energetic, positive people that continue to be like family.”