If you’re between The Commons, Unity Park, the Swamp Rabbit Trail, and Cancer Survivors Park on a Monday night, it’s hard to miss the hundreds of people running, jogging, and walking a three-mile loop. If you haven’t seen the Run Club in person, they may have crossed your social media feeds.

This social running group, seemingly, exploded overnight.

City Editor Danielle here. After Run Club took over my friends’ Instagram stories this summer, I laced up my Hokas and went to see what the hype was about. As someone who does not run — I expected to stop by, grab some content, and never return again. Now, I’m a weekly Run Club attendee.

Ashley Pearson + co-partner Jake Thayer organize Greenville Run Club together. | Photo by Caleb Estell via @runclub_gville

"When it blew up this year, it was so sweet, but it was never my goal for it to get this big," Run Club founder Ashley Pearson told me. "There are so many different body shapes, ages, and physical abilities just here to move their bodies and find community."

Run Club started in March 2023 and lasted until daylight saving time ended. Each week, a group of 15-20 runners would hit the trail, and the same number returned in March 2024.

Between word-of-mouth and social media, the club grew from 15 runners in March to an average of 300+ in August. With the increased interest, Pearson hopes to keep the club running through the winter months.

So far, Greenville Run Club’s record is ~350 people. We have ~80,000 subscribers. We challenge you to come out on Monday, Aug. 26 outside Pangaea Brewing at 6:45 p.m. to make it the Run Club's biggest week yet. Come find me, say hello, and grab a — very exclusive — GVLtoday sticker.