Fun Run Walk Bike

Oct 20

By Susannah Kerest

Front Porch Forum hosts online newsletters in every town in Vermont, and now in some Upper Valley NH towns. Neighbors, nonprofits, businesses, and government officials can post messages, share news, get advice, make recommendations, announce events, sell items, and much more. It's all about helping neighbors to connect and build community.

This fall, Front Porch Forum is featuring Vermonters who excel at building community and offer tips for how you can get started in your own town. Read it here in The Bridge Weekly.

Hannah Wilson already had a running group in Randolph. Then she and her running buddies decided to add some fun and invite the WHOLE community! While aiming to keep things as informal and simple as possible, Hannah, Larry Satcowitz, and friends built a tradition of meeting each Wednesday in the summer to tackle a 5k run, inviting anyone else who wanted to come to join in. An ever-evolving group of neighbors has been running, walking, and biking for 16 years now.

Hannah said, "It's pretty much choose-your-own-adventure. People can decide to do whatever portion they want. Sometimes people just go out for a walk, or there'll be a parent with their kids on their bike, and that's totally fine."

Larry enjoys it when "people who are new to town come, and it's helped connect them with the community." Over time, single runners have met and married spouses who they then bring along on the run. Some participants have found jobs by meeting others in the group. Hannah shared, "Runners who used to push strollers and are now running alongside their kids!"

Hannah concluded, "I think that you never regret having spent some time outside, exercising with friends and other community members. There are plenty of evenings when I'm tired, and I don't feel like going, but I know I've got to show up. I'm always glad that I did."

Read Hannah's tips for picking a location, marking the course, promoting the event, and keeping it fun without being too competitive! https://frontporchforum.com/join-project/fun-run-walk-bike

Have you ever thought about getting neighbors together around a shared hobby? Is there a Fall Veggie Exchange, Garden Club, or Seed Swap in your community? Or, maybe you want to get one started! Post about it on Front Porch Forum.