Celebrating Philadelphia’s Running Community and Culture
Photos by Melissa Alam
“This coalition is about people. It's about representing and connecting people who make up the running industry." – RIDC board member, Sergio Avila
By Kiera Smalls
When the RIDC board started planning their summer retreat, they suggested we host it in my hometown of Philadelphia. As you can imagine, I couldn’t wait to help plan the details. I’m very passionate about Philadelphia because it’s a great city, and it made me who I am, so I couldn’t wait to showcase the good things happening here.
The RIDC board and staff spent the first night of our retreat CELEBRATING 15 of Philly’s amazing run club leaders and organizations.
The event was hosted in partnership with Diadora, whose US headquarters is based in South Philadelphia.
During my welcoming remarks, I shared with those leaders: "Although we may not always see ourselves highlighted in the running industry’s marketing, your run clubs feel like a more accurate representation of who’s out running…so let’s educate Diadora and the RIDC about who really runs Philly."
RIDC board member Sergio Avila described it best: “Our retreat in Philadelphia was about people, about board members coming from across the country, connecting to learn and share with each other. A highlight was meeting local shop owners and community groups representing youth, people of color, LGBTQ+, and more, who share a passion for running. It was inspiring to witness the power of this coalition.”
After quickly introducing the RIDC board and staff, we gave the floor to the clubs and organizations to introduce themselves and share their work. We were joined by:
Freddy of Wynnfield Track Club
CeCe and Deb of Lez Run
Richard of ISSA Run Crew
Josh and Ron of Swaggahouse Run Club
Lawrence of Black Men Run - Philly
Takia of Strides (formerly City Fit Girls)
Iesha and Lauren of Students Run Philly Style
Ross and Liz of Philadelphia Runner
We ended the night by surprising our guests with Diadora sneakers, goodie bags, and an extended night of fun on the rooftop of the BOK building.
Thanks to Kara, Bryan, and the team at Diadora for hosting us!
Our retreat didn’t stop there! Here are a few of the activities we did throughout the week.
Toured the African American Museum in Philadelphia
Ate at Bookers Restaurant & Bar, JG Sky High, and more
Hosted working sessions inside of Philadelphia Runner
Visited Uncle Bobbies Coffee & Books
Explored the Schuylkill River Trail
Attended a Phillies game
And so much more
Thanks to Liz and Ross of Philadelphia Runner for hosting us on Friday.
Thanks to the RIDC board and staff for traveling to the great city of Philadelphia!
“Kiera set this retreat to show everyone how to bring together and elevate the power of community. Not a talk or a training, instead it was Kiera's life-long relationships and connections with community leaders, and a genuine interest in giving them a voice and a seat at the table. Literally and figuratively. This is the definition of a coalition. That is what RIDC can do with the running industry."
- RIDC board member, Sergio Avilla
P.S. Yes, I did attend Beyonce’s RENAISSANCE tour in the middle of all this hosting! No regrets :)
