Running toward community in Guelph, Wellington
GUELPH – The sun sets on a Thursday night as a group of runners stand at the intersection of Alma and Inkerman streets here.
A woman projects her voice to get the crowd’s attention.
“Okay everyone, thanks for coming out tonight,” she says before outlining the group’s running route for the evening.
Hoppy Runners was started by Chelsea Pergolas in January 2024.
After studying sociology at the University of Toronto, Pergolas found that, caught between work and family, community did not come as naturally.
“It was still post-COVID and it felt like there was a real push for more third spaces,” Pergolas said, using the term for environments outside home and work where people convene and engage socially.
She says the group runs throughout the year, with summer attracting larger crowds and winter leading to a thinned-out group of runners.
While the onus was initially on Pergolas to organize group events, she has been heartened to see the group adopt a more diffuse leadership structure over time.
“It’s been really beautiful to see others take the lead on a given week,” Pergolas said.
“At this point if I can’t do it someone else will fill in and take the lead.”
There has been widespread discussion of a loneliness epidemic, particularly among people in their 20s and 30s. The rise of people living alone, pressures associated with work and the cost of living, and the omnipresence of social media have all contributed to concerns that young people are becoming increasingly socially isolated.
Pargolas said the group provides people with an opportunity to “run, have a drink, let loose, hangout.”
Elora hosts two similarly styled run groups, the Good ‘eh Run Club and the Move Run Club.
The former meets Saturdays at 9am outside the Lost and Found Cafe, while the latter meets Tuesdays at 7pm outside the Elora Brewing Company. Both provide county residents a chance to connect with others over a love of running without driving to Guelph.
