Facebook groups connect women with fellow runners in Las Vegas Valley
There’s a strong running culture in the Las Vegas Valley. Whether its on the track, the trail or around the neighborhood, there’s likely a group for it.
When Mountain’s Edge resident Heather Michel started running in Las Vegas two years ago, she didn’t know many runners or groups to join. She found the Facebook page for RUN GRRRLS RUN, a women-only running group with over 800 members. In its sixth year, the group connects women from all over the valley for group runs on tracks and trails .
Michel joined the online group and monitored the discussion for a while. Members would post weekly run events and invite fellow members to join them.
“It honestly took me months before I got the nerve to join this group on a run,” Michel said. “… (I) finally went on one at Floyd Lamb Park, 45 minutes away from me, but I’m glad I made the drive.”
Founded by former Centennial Hills resident Darby Frederickson, RUN GRRRLS RUN was a way for women on the west side of town to get together for runs of a few miles or marathon training. Frederickson lives in Oregon and has since founded a sister group called RUN GRRRLS RUN PNW (Pacific Northwest).
“There was one (women’s) group, but they weren’t willing to venture out of Henderson,” Frederickson said. “Going 60 miles round trip for a run is not possible for a lot of people.”
Frederickson created the group so that all members could organize runs. A member can post on the Facebook page where they hope to run, how far and their pace. Other members can join in or create their own run.
About a year ago, Michel started organizing runs in the southwest valley, often meeting up with other women at Exploration Park.
“I used to enjoy putting my headphones in while running solo, but now I really love running with others and chit-chatting while running,” Michel said. “Not only have I gained friends through these group runs, I have learned a lot and my pace really has improved.”
Jessica Kimbel, a northwest valley resident and group member, said she joined the group about four years ago to break up the monotony of working from home.
“I have met so many friends that I’m still in touch with through this group,” Kimbel said. “There’s a lot of nice women that just want to get out and have fun.”
Group members tend to be in their 30s and 40s, Kimbel said, but all ages are welcome.
The group’s members also join other runners for outings in the valley. Rebecca Thomas, a southwest resident and avid trail runner, began leading a separate Monday night run two years ago.
“The first night we started, it was just four of us,” Thomas said.
Now, Thomas’ group attracts between 40 and 50 runners every Monday, even during the summer. About a fourth of that group consists of “RUN GRRRLS,” Thomas said.
“The one thing we talk about all the time is how diverse we are,” Thomas said. “Some of us are stay-at-home moms or single parents … conservative or liberal. I’m a schoolteacher; some people are CEOs. But once you get out there, none of that matters. It’s so amazing, and we all share that love of running.”
Contact Madelyn Reese at mreese@viewnews.com or 702-383-0497. Follow @MadelynGReese on Twitter.
Reporter's Notebook
It was 4:30 on a Wednesday morning, and my alarm was already going off. I contemplated hitting the snooze button, but I knew I couldn't. I had decided that I was going to join some of the RUN GRRRLS for a morning jaunt at Exploration Peak in the southwest valley. I had never been there before, and I figured it was a great way to meet new people and check out a new place.
I arrived just before 5 . The sky was just starting to turn hazy shades of pink, red and orange. As I walked around the parking lot and manicured lawns, crickets chirped and the birds were starting to sing.
At 5:15, I met up with a couple of the ladies who were also crazy enough to get up this early to get a few miles in. They showed me around and told me a little bit more about how they got involved with the group. Heather Michel was kind enough to share with me her story about how she started running.
As we worked our way up and down the trails of Exploration Peak (elevation 2,846 feet), the sun began to rise over the Las Vegas Valley. To the west, hot air balloons rose in front of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. To the east, the buildings of the Strip glinted in the early morning light.
I was surprised by the number of people out at this time of day. Couples old and young sat together and watched the sunrise from the top of the peak, while others walked their dogs below in the 80-acre Exploration Park.
As a new Las Vegas resident and a passionate runner myself, runs like these are incredibly valuable. My running partners that morning were excited to tell me about their favorite trails and other running groups to contact if I wanted to learn more. They also kept me honest: Since I had RSVP'd in the Facebook group, there was no way I was letting myself back out, even though I wanted so badly to keep sleeping that morning.
I'm glad I didn't hit snooze. As I drove home at 6:30 with the sun shining brightly through the window, I was happy, sweaty and thinking about the new friends I had just made. It was definitely a better decision than staying in bed.
Madelyn Reese/View
