KICK OFF the new year with a new hobby and built-in accountability—the type of accountability that might just turn the hobby into a new healthy habit! Jacked Up Runners is a laid-back running club based in Fayetteville. The club has been meeting week after week for close to a year. A local realtor and nonprofit organization founder, Summer Southern, founded the running club. Southern shared, “I run a nonprofit in town, the Quatina M. Wolaver Foundation of Hope, and one of the ventures we take on to raise money for the nonprofit is hosting local races.”
Southern continued, “Our community running groups seemed to have fallen off in recent years. Therefore, my goal was to get participation and camaraderie back up in our local community. So I started the club mainly to get our local community back together to run. However, I was hopeful that our gatherings and presence would bring people to sign up for more races (not just my local races, but all of our local races.) My goal was to get more support for runners and local nonprofits.”
The running group that Southern formed is very laid back. Southern shared, “It is open to anybody who wants to run any, at any skill level. You do not have to be a longtime runner or a marathoner to run with us, and walkers are also welcome because there is no age or speed requirement! Anybody who wants to, can come and participate. My little niece and nephew have even joined us before!”
Additionally, no fees are associated with the club or any formal sign-ups. Anyone is welcome to show up and run at any time. Southern joked, “Runners know misery loves company, so if you want to come out and get some miles in with some other folks, you know we’ll be running so come out and run with us!”
The Jacked Up Runners group meets every Wednesday at 6 a.m. in front of Jacked Up Coffee in Fayetteville. While the running route changes pretty often, the distance the runners go stays within the 5K range (three to four miles).
Southern shared, “We typically all run, and then when we get back, we will grab a Jacked Up coffee before dashing off to work or to start our days!”
Southern shared how it is rewarding and encouraging to meet together weekly. She said, “I think it [Jacked Up Runners group] gives us all something to look forward to each week. It’s nice to break up the monotony of running by yourself. I enjoy the accountability partners I’ve made, as well as the community we’ve formed. The best part for me is meeting like-minded folks from all ages and backgrounds. I think it’s cool that I get to interact with people that I probably wouldn’t normally interact with.” GN
