A Run On Run Clubs

Posted July 29th 2024

This summer, the island has seen the introduction of two new running clubs that have nearly identical names but different activities: Seven Mile Island Run Club in Stone Harbor and the Seven Mile Run Club in Avalon.
The Seven Mile Island Run Club meets every Saturday at 7am, rain or shine. The group’s runs begin at the Stone Harbor Water Tower, and usually last about 60 minutes, followed by a post-run social at Pure Juice Kitchen.
The organizer, Lauren Nicholas, was inspired to create a Stone Harbor run club after seeing the recent boom in group runs offered across major cities. “Stone Harbor has always been my favorite place to run,” she said, “and judging by how busy the bike lane gets in the summer, I knew I wasn’t the only one.”
She added: “Having a group of people to run with can be really motivating, so it’s been great to see members of the group making suggestions for additional speed workouts, beach runs, and connecting me with local businesses for collaborations. It has been really fun seeing how the club has grown and brought everyone together.”
Meanwhile in Avalon, the Seven Mile Run Club offers runs on Monday at 8am and evening swims at 5:30pm. The group meets at the Avalon jetty and typically runs about 3 miles. The creator of the group, Shannon Kelly, is a former Avalon lifeguard.
“I wanted to find a way to still stay consistent with my workouts and continue to have that form of community while doing so,” Kelly said. “A lot of our run club members are current guards and in great shape, which always helps to motivate the whole group to push themselves a bit harder during our workouts.”
After runs, the Seven Mile Run Club loves to grab açaí bowls at Hollywood Bowls.
“We’ve gotten to meet some awesome people who have come out and joined the runs by finding us on Strava, which has been really cool,” Kelly said, referring to an app that connects runners, cyclists, hikers and other active people. “Everyone has their own motivations to work out and even if we all are running for different reasons, doing it together makes it all the more fun!”
Whether you are an avid runner, or just starting out, be sure to check out Seven Mile’s newest run clubs. Seven Mile Run Club and Seven Mile Island Run Club are the perfect way to start your day!