$25K Grant Awarded to Local Running Club to Help Combat Loneliness
[FREE Letter] A running club that isn’t actually about running.
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When Surgeon General Vivek Murthy raised alarms about the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in America, he described it as an epidemic as severe as other public health issues such as tobacco use, obesity, and addiction.
This isn’t surprising — research shows that loneliness and isolation have debilitating and even deadly consequences, with links to increased risk of physical and mental health issues like heart disease, stroke, dementia, and depression.
While many factors contribute to loneliness, studies show heavy social media use accelerates the sense of loneliness or isolation. This is one of the reasons why Hinge, an online dating app, announced One More Hour, a $1M fund dedicated to helping social groups and organizations for Gen Z to build community in person. Grants ranging from $10K to $25K were awarded in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City to social groups that provide Gen Z with “fresh, affordable, and recurring in-person opportunities to connect with others.”
Commonwealth Running Club, a local running group that meets twice weekly in Prospect Park, received one of these grants. “The grant was floated around and people [thought] we didn't really fit what they were looking for, but then I looked at the criteria, and I thought, wow, Commonwealth really does check off all of these boxes,” says Jonathan Zelinger, the club’s founder and organizer.
Some of those boxes include meeting on at least a daily, weekly, or monthly basis for free or low-cost in-person activity; the majority of regular participants are between the ages of 18 and 26; and operating within New York City. The most important box? Helping people make new connections. “Some people have met their best friends through Commonwealth. There's a group of six women, and none of them knew each other before this,” says Jonathan. After three rounds of interviews and written applications, Commonwealth Running Club received the maximum award of $25K.
Jonathan envisions using the funds in various ways, big and small. He’s considering buying a modest camera to enhance the club’s social media presence, running digital ads to reach new potential members, renting vehicles to take members hiking outside the city, and donating to members’ race fees and fundraisers.
As for big plans, Jonathan wants to host races — but not your typical road race. “A lot of New York races have very similar scripts. They're early in the morning. They can be kind of intense and just not as light-hearted as I think they could be. I would like to change the mold of a race,” he explains. One idea is a last-one-standing model where racers must complete a loop of Prospect Park every hour on the hour. If participants complete the loop before the hour is up, they get to rest for the remaining time, and the last racer to complete a full loop wins.
Thinking about running and racing in a new way is how Commonwealth was born. After Jonathan moved back to NYC after a stint in New Orleans, he recognized an opportunity for a different type of running club. “I knew that Brooklyn had plenty of running clubs, but nothing where you could really do your own thing. What [Commonwealth] offered people was to meet at the beginning, and then, meet up with them again after. And whatever you do in between is your own prerogative,” explains Jonathan.
He also wanted to ensure the running club included people who like to move but have no interest in running (think: walking and biking). “What I love about Commonwealth is that we've been around for almost two years, and I've never really heard anyone talk about pace or mileage. It's just so secondary.”
After-run meet-ups happen at Pasta Louise and Commonwealth Bar. “They let us use their space, and we get a deal. We get free coffee with the purchase of any food item at Pasta Louise, and $1 off all drinks at Commonwealth. Also, [Commonwealth Bar] provided food on two occasions; we had a chilly night and midnight mac and cheese run,” says Jonathan.
“The best part about Commonwealth has been watching friendships form, and supporting people's other endeavors through Commonwealth has also been so great. Someone performed their new music for the first time at a bar and like 25 people came. That stuff really makes everything in the city more feasible and more accessible,” says Jonathan. Commonwealth Running Club: A running club that isn’t actually about running.
Join Commonwealth Running Club at Grand Army Plaza on Monday evenings at 6:30PM and Friday mornings at 7:30AM. To stay up to date on schedule changes and events, follow Commonwealth Running Club on Instagram.
(All photos are courtesy of Commonwealth Running Club.)
Thank you so much for reading Park Slope Times! I love covering these hyperlocal stories, and I hope to do more (do you like them?). Soon, I’ll be sharing details about my upcoming Open Streets pop-up event on July 20th. Til then!
Kelley xo
A great story about an incredible resource for finding community and support. Thank you for sharing and hoping this article inspires other communities to create similar groups that inspire and connect.