Urban Running Crews in Dublin?

uvox

Anyone seen or interested in anything like this in Dublin?

Urban Running Collective: Run Dem Crew (London)

http://www.rundemcrew.com/

Looks kinda interesting, and beyond a running club. Not for everybody, but that's the beauty of running.

We are not a running club and we do not jog. First and foremost we are family and a community who run hard, run fast and run strong.
Formed in the winter of 2007 by DJ, poet and writer Charlie Dark, as an alternative to more traditional running clubs, ....

http://www.rundemcrew.com/about

Krusty_Clown

Fo shizzle.

We are family first and foremost and are committed to building a positive and encouraging community of creative people who enjoy running and the change it can bring. Sessions cost £5.

Chivito550

Seems like a hipster alternative to the mainstream concept of running clubs. Load of nonsense if you ask me!

confusticated

For a crowd that are very insistent that they're not a running club, they sound very like a running club....that charges £5 per training session.

PaulieC

I am confused:

If you only have time for yourself and your latest PB then please feel free to run elsewhere

If your main concern is how fast you can go then please refrain from attending our sessions

You do not get brownie points for getting to the traffic lights first.

but wait...

Our motto is ‘Go Hard or Go Home’.

I wonder where the fivers go.

BTW OP, there is something similar in Dublin - Run Logic do a group run on Wednesday evenings. For free.

Sacksian

I did a leisurely half-marathon in Berlin a couple of years ago where it turned out I was running behind a member of Berlin's equivalent: Run Pack Berlin. At about mile 10, this happened:

https://www.instagram.com/p/nkc801jHCs/

As confusticated said above, they're just running clubs who, for some reason, don't want to call themselves running clubs. They're certainly not beyond running clubs - if anything, they're very much less than a running club.

Cabaal

5e a session!?!
I'd rather pay the annual club fee,

I know why they won't call themselves a running club, its so they can rake in the money from fools

Chivito550

The bloke who set up this scam is an absolute genius. We all secretly wish we'd thought of this first. Running for "creative people". Maybe I'll put together a "running for dog lovers". 5e per session, but you can bring the mutt for just a further 2.50.

rom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP7k35KNdY4

Hannibelle Smeeeth

Ah! This could have been what I saw in London in Jan. A huge group of runners passed us along the Thames, I thought it was some kind of secret race. But then they got to a flat piece of ground just before London Bridge where they all got together, someone was blasting 90s dance tunes and they broke out into a kind of routine with loads of tourists watching taking pics.

Murph_D

When I started out I did a couple of longish runs with a yahoo.com meet up group. They were a good bunch led by a pretty hardcore looking Dutch guy (I think), catering to different standards, with a few members taking responsibility for different paces. I believed they had a suggested fee of five euros to cover a three month period or so, which I assume went to the leader to cover expenses. There was no pressure to pay. I can see the appeal, for road or trail-focused beginners especially. It was very sociable, and had a sense of competitiveness too. Would imagine there are still plenty of these groups around, but I imagine it's all about the people behind each one and how they manage it.

uvox

PaulieC wrote: »

I am confused:


BTW OP, there is something similar in Dublin - Run Logic do a group run on Wednesday evenings. For free.

I can tell you the Run Logic #runclub ain't anything like the London crew. As Ash would say:

"if you can't drink a beer, bite a burger or chew on a hunk of pizza pie after a run, then this club is not for you.."

(Mind you, I do none of those things.)

uvox

Hannibelle Smeeeth wrote: »

Ah! This could have been what I saw in London in Jan. A huge group of runners passed us along the Thames, I thought it was some kind of secret race. But then they got to a flat piece of ground just before London Bridge where they all got together, someone was blasting 90s dance tunes and they broke out into a kind of routine with loads of tourists watching taking pics.

Biazrre, I had almost EXACTLY the same experience about three weeks ago (which is why I was kinda searching on this topic).

I picked up the group on one of my own runs as I crossed Tower Bridge. They must have been out of Shoreditch: maybe 75-100 runners. It was great actually. Amazing they managed to mow nobody down.

Quite inspiring actually.

But then if you've ever run the Thames early morning or evening you'll know running in London is a whole different scene, innit mate!

uvox

Chivito550 wrote: »

The bloke who set up this scam is an absolute genius. We all secretly wish we'd thought of this first. Running for "creative people". Maybe I'll put together a "running for dog lovers". 5e per session, but you can bring the mutt for just a further 2.50.

Put one together for hipsters and their dogs. You can retire early just with the catchment area in Portobello, Dublin alone.

Hannibelle Smeeeth

uvox wrote: »

Biazrre, I had almost EXACTLY the same experience about three weeks ago (which is why I was kinda searching on this topic).

I picked up the group on one of my own runs as I crossed Tower Bridge. They must have been out of Shoreditch: maybe 75-100 runners. It was great actually. Amazing they managed to mow nobody down.

Quite inspiring actually.

But then if you've ever run the Thames early morning or evening you'll know running in London is a whole different scene, innit mate!

I thought it was a great idea. I'd love something on a Sat morning like that. It seemed the slower people just joined in with the workout bit whenever they caught up. I liked that bit in particular

uvox

Sacksian wrote: »

I did a leisurely half-marathon in Berlin a couple of years ago where it turned out I was running behind a member of Berlin's equivalent: Run Pack Berlin. At about mile 10, this happened:

https://www.instagram.com/p/nkc801jHCs/

Thanks for the tip! I've run a lot in Berlin. Must try and hook up with these guys and gals next time. I like the sentiment:

"We are a Berlin based group of dedicated people who share the passion for running and our city. We run as a pack and we party as a pack."

Coffee Fulled Runner

This was on my strava feed. It's just a hipster running club.

http://blog.strava.com/the-genesis-of-urban-running-crews-11328/?utm_source=strava-app&utm_medium=dorado&utm_campaign=2016_Blog_Posts&utm_content=running-crews

Chivito550

Coffee Fulled Runner wrote: »

This was on my strava feed. It's just a hipster running club.

http://blog.strava.com/the-genesis-of-urban-running-crews-11328/?utm_source=strava-app&utm_medium=dorado&utm_campaign=2016_Blog_Posts&utm_content=running-crews

What is the world coming to!

Coffee Fulled Runner

I cringe at it, but hey they are happy!

petethedrummer

Is this slightly edgier jogging or watered down parkour?

uvox

Only one way to find out... I'll join a few sessions.

davedanon

As posited on fb, will drinks be served out of running shoes, and chips in running-short ballbag netting?

uvox

davedanon wrote: »

As posited on fb, will drinks be served out of running shoes, and chips in running-short ballbag netting?

"in running-short ballbag netting?"

I wear tights, so no idea really....

Chivito550

uvox wrote: »

I wear tights,

We established that from the other thread. :pac:

opus

Sacksian wrote: »

I did a leisurely half-marathon in Berlin a couple of years ago where it turned out I was running behind a member of Berlin's equivalent: Run Pack Berlin. At about mile 10, this happened:

https://www.instagram.com/p/nkc801jHCs/

You don't need to go to Berlin for that! I came across a dude doing the same thing on a cold damp night in Cork the week before last. Was wondering what the shadow on the path ahead of me was 'til I close enough to see it was a guy doing push-ups

uvox

Outbreak of hipster running club in Cork:

http://mountainmanbrewing.com/beer/index.php/2016/03/05/mountain-man-running-club/

The Mountainy Man Beardy Running Club

Djoucer

There's a few clubs that combine beer and running. There's another one in Dublin.

Hardly hipster, it's been going on for years with the likes of Hash House Harriers.

Beer and running is a great combo.

uvox

I joined tonight's Run Dem Crew out of the GymBox fitness place near Bank underground in the City (London). I basically bolted their session into my half marathon evening run. You can see the route here (and you can figure out the half marathon from the more compressed RDC session):



This is NOT a hipster running club. There was 2 guys and about twenty women, aged around 25 or under. I was the oldest, though I still had the best tights and legs, so sorry girls (it's that 750 km per month thing).

The run departs from the gym. Yisser pays yer fiver up front. There is a "pack" leader who runs with music playing from a mobile device, and a pack tail-end charlie who looks after stragglers. RDC works on a #norunnerleftbehind basis.

There is a warm-up session to start, in the stree, and everyone introduces themselves. And off we go. But the run keeps stopping about every 1 or so for exercises, or sprinting exercises, or jumps or whatever, all using the urban "furniture" (walls, railings, etc). Some of the route around the river is convoluted with the leader running around in circles at times. To be fair some of this was interesting for sure, and I did get to see parts of the city I was not familiar with (and I run the Thames a LOT). There was a great little sprinting session in the form of 1-on-1 relays in a 500 metre disused tunnel near St Paul's Cathedral and some of the exercise were tough. I liked that.

The practice of the leader shouting out the obstacles as he encountered them, which were then echoed by the rest of the pack down the line, grated on me to be honest: "STEPS!", "RIGHT", "LEFT", "BOLLARDS" (I least that's what I thought they said, but it could be back to my tights), "SINGLE FILE" (person coming etc). I kept me gob shut.

For the amount of time we were out there (well over an hour), the distance covered was only probably 6-8km (hard to tell given the twisting and turning of the route). We did cross a few bridges, and saw some nice evening sights. The banks of the Thames are a super place to run in the evenings.

Was it fun? Yes, kinda. But it was no Run Logic #runclub. The leaders were very personably, motivated, and careful (shouting "CLEAR" as they crossed a road or side entrance, making sure nobody was lost), and so on.

And there wasn't a beard or a dog in sight.

The "run" finished with cool down exercises, summary of how the leaders thought it was going, what was coming next week, etc. - "housekeeping". There was some post-run motivational stuff thrown in, sure, but was NOWHERE near the level of Soul Cycle (another review I must write elsewhere), but that's OK - Soul Cycle would do your head in. Same kinda clientele in both RDC and Soul Cycle though in my experience

In all - would I go back? No. I don't need to. It's not for me. Clearly these guys are very good at social media (check out Instagram and Twitter feeds. Facebook is not used thankfully) and branding their offerings as some kind of community that aspires to be hardcore on a running lifestyle dimension, but it was hardly Conor McGregor in Hokas. Or even Bressie's My1000hours/ListforLife runs. RDC wasn't diverse enough, it wasn't hard enough, and wasn't long enough for me (no, not the tights again, the event).

I cranked the 6 miles or so back to base up river no bother.

Still, it is very welcome that people like RDC try and do something running-related that aspires to be edgy, different, and operating on a more than physical level. RDC didn't really do it for me, but the more #bringiton messages that go out to the "drinking club with a running problem" bøllocks we seem to be surrounded with, to a conservative Irish runner mentality when it comes to choice of gear and style, to an often narrow view about the motivations as why some of us HAVE to run, and to an assumption that your running has to fit into your lifestyle whereas some of us feel that your lifestyle fits into your running, the better.

But this isn't it.

* Note that the hashtags (#) in this post are provided in an "oh-so-ironic" #hipster static way. They're not hyperlinks.

davedanon

"(it's that 750 km per month thing)"

Nice humblebrag, although if you're running 5,500 miles per year, you really should be logging that into our 1000 mile challenge thread. You'd win it at a canter.

rom

davedanon wrote: »

"(it's that 750 km per month thing)"

Nice humblebrag, although if you're running 5,500 miles per year, you really should be logging that into our 1000 mile challenge thread. You'd win it at a canter.

She may own a bike.

Djoucer

Nice review. And genuine lol at "it was hardly Conor McGregor in Hokas."

Chivito550

I think you need to give the references to your tights a rest. 3 or 4 times in this post alone. We get it. You wear tights. So do most of us. It's not exactly something worth posting about to be honest.

uvox

rom wrote: »

She may own a bike.

I own two pairs of Hoka One One Clifton 2s.

uvox

Chivito550 wrote: »

I think you need to give the references to your tights a rest. 3 or 4 times in this post alone. We get it. You wear tights. So do most of us. It's not exactly something worth posting about to be honest.

See you out there in your shorts.

Krusty_Clown

I enjoyed the review and fair play for giving it a lash. You sound like the type of person who might be better served by setting up your own 'running crew' that lines up a little more with your expectations. Can't say I'd ever join you, as I guess I'm more of a traditional runner (I subscribe to the view that press-ups are are not necessarily a spectator sport). The irony of charging £5 for what is essentially 'freerunning' cracks me up though. Keep freerunning free!

Murph_D

To be fair, tights seem to be #derigeur to be genuine #rundemcrew.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCqsMxWv1Ya/?taken-by=run.dem.crew

Cabaal

Murph_D wrote: »

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCqsMxWv1Ya/?taken-by=run.dem.crew

I like how they like to claim they've discovered stuff :pac:

From link above

Stumbled on a 400m disused tunnel

Disused tunnel? Even though it very clearly has a cycle path painted on it

BeepBeep67

Cabaal wrote: »

I like how they like to claim they've discovered stuff :pac:

From link above



Disused tunnel? Even though it very clearly has a cycle path painted on it

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5109881,-0.0967911,3a,75y,258.23h,80.49t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFhesosmrelYXvRw1VOa6cg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=en-GB

cianc

I'm just going to leave this here, I don't trust myself to comment.

http://gcr.homeruncollective.com/

snailsong

I think the backwards baseball cap is key. If I can harness the awesome power of the cap then I'll crack the 3 hour marathon pronto.

Much to the acclaim of my homies.

Ed Mc Groarty

Live and let live.

Ed Mc Groarty

Run and let run.

Chivito550

cianc wrote: »

I'm just going to leave this here, I don't trust myself to comment.

http://gcr.homeruncollective.com/

Uvox, is this your doing?

Sandwell

Get in the sea.

davedanon

I do. What a load of pretentious, hipster b*llocks.

Murph_D

Doesn't look very hipster to me. If it was, they'd be wearing 50s plimsolls, antique Adidas cotton sweats and heavy drawstring trews. Walkman, or even boom box, for the sounds. There'd be no website, just snail mail list, and the run recipe would include a charity/thrift shop crawl. Press ups still de rigeur, mind.

Good luck to these lads, no harm done.

davedanon

Murph_D wrote: »

Doesn't look very hipster to me. If it was, they'd be wearing 50s plimsolls, antique Adidas cotton sweats and heavy drawstring trews. Walkman, or even boom box, for the sounds. There'd be no website, just snail mail list, and the run recipe would include a charity/thrift shop crawl. Press ups still de rigeur, mind.

Good luck to these lads, no harm done.

It's the thin end of a wedge re-purposed from an urban waste situation* that was once used to hold open the office door to the Bauhaus Architecture Dept. in Weimar and has been upcycled to be of use in a modern aesthetic.


*fished out of a skip

davedanon

When I got to the line about "running with our family", a little bit of sick came up in my mouth.

ThisRegard

Resistance it futile Dave, you will be assimilated



Turned up moustache is mandatory.

uvox

Seems this crew are close to the original OP question:

Grand Canal Runners

http://gcr.homeruncollective.com/


https://twitter.com/homerunco/status/723261552405688321

davedanon

Are they swearing an oath of allegiance?