1 Year Anniversary: Victoria Queer Run Club

Our 1 Year Anniversary!

I haven’t really taken the time to acknowledge it on my own personal account, but VQRC just hit one year old! 🤠Never would I have thought to start a run club - but now that this little community exists - it’s something I am ever so grateful for. It is one part of my life, and likely the most impactful in so many ways.

The very early days of VQRC, Tatum and I met at Cafe Fantastico, just went for a 6km jaunt, dreaming what it could be (first pic!). Ensuring it was free, and was a safe landing space for 2SLGBTQIA+ folks to run in community and in nature was - and still is - the goal. Fast forward to today, the club has grown to three runs a week (Monday/Wednesday/Thursday), and has led roughly ~700km of group runs on the road and through the trails of Southern Vancouver Island.

Some big milestones within this past year has been growing it to the Westshore, adventure trail runs, collaborations with local groups, TC10K Team, socials and gathering the queer sport community, CBC News article, non-competitive pace groups, merch, and a Pride Run. What I love the most is that this is not “my” run club - it’s everyones - all of these milestones were from visions that people had for this space.

There are so many emotions that come up when I talk about how much this group means. Moving across the country, away from family & lifelong friends, to do a PhD is quite isolating (and making friends as an adult is hard!). I feel an immense amount of appreciation for the people that have given me a soft landing spot, and have since become close friends 💕. I love to show up for others, and have felt this in return.

The creation of this space has informed how I move forward in a good way, and approach community-based research and participatory methods that are grounded in relationship and reciprocity.

A little doodle for the gram, but @vicqueerrunclub is a living photo album 🫶 can’t wait for what the next year brings.