🔦The Corners Run Crew
How and when was your crew founded?
The Corners Run Crew took their first steps back in October of 2019. I had been running for nearly 20 years and had convinced myself that all the cool things were happening everywhere else. Eventually, I realized that there are actually very few barriers to creating a run community and that great things, no matter where they happen, require people to take bold steps to get them started.
What does the word community mean to you?
Our crew’s founding motto is ‘Moderate Pace, Positive Space’ and when distilled, I think about it as connection. We believe that regardless of: where you are from, what you believe, how you love, what you have experienced, or how far or fast you run, that you have a place in this crew and we celebrate and support your individuality because we know that we are better together. Taking the time to get to know the people around you, whether on a crew run, travelling, or in your own neighbourhood creates greater acceptance and understanding and inevitably makes our communities stronger and more interesting.
What achievement are you most proud of as a community?
It would be easy to pin success on simply having loads of people lace up to share miles together. Having a big crew run is fun for sure, but I take far more pride in watching people connect who may never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. Friendships have formed and authentic connections have been made that almost never have anything to do with pace, or distances covered. Beyond that, it has been wonderful to see people feel like they are a part of something, especially those folks who maybe thought that running couldn’t have been their thing.
What will you be doing as a community to support the Equality for Mental Health initiative in October?
The Corners are incredibly grateful to have been invited to participate once again in this year’s Global Mental Health Day event and we thank Sha, Be More You, and the rest of the global running community for being a part of it. We will be running the Twelve Mile Creek Trail which winds through the centre of our city. We are fortunate that within the crew we have some incredibly talented folks, including two Social Workers, who have been instrumental in guiding this year’s program. We will be starting and finishing our run with a short meditation and encouraging runners to find moments along the path to stop and reflect. Additionally, we will be accepting donations which will be directed to a local Indigenous Health organization who, amongst a wide range of services, provides support in mental wellness.
Founder,
Colin Strickland
Full feature on our blog – link in bio.
