OLDS — Local lawyer Dan McPherson has started a running club in town.
They meet Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. in front of his Elevator law office on 51st Street. The first run occurred Wednesday, April 12.
Three people took part in that first run, including McPherson.
"We think that was a success," McPherson's administrative assistant Leanne Swallow wrote in an email. "We are absolutely going to keep the run club going."
The idea is to run a five-kilometre (K) loop in the community, then have a coffee afterwards at local businesses as a way to get to know each other and local businesses and residents.
“I’d love to get as many people out from the Uptowne Olds community (as possible),” McPherson said during an interview with the Albertan.
“I have really tremendous respect for any business owner, especially the small independent business owner.”
He especially enjoyed a recent meet and greet held at The Beech CoWork.
“We have some really fantastic runners in Olds. We have phenomenal runners in Olds,” McPherson added.
“Maybe someone’s looking for an excuse, or they’ve never really gotten into running before or they were runners before but they’ve had some kids or they started their business and they just need an excuse to get back into it.”
If it proves really successful, McPherson could see the club expanding to include a walking group as well as others who may want to train for longer, more competitive runs.
He’s named the club Run This Town – Olds, with the idea that perhaps other communities might adopt the idea in the future – for example, Run This Town – Didsbury.
McPherson said he got the idea for the club a couple of years ago, as COVID restrictions forced everyone apart and/or indoors with little to do.
He participated in a similar club a few years ago when he lived up in Yellowknife.
"(It’s) a way to force me to stay active. One of those things, that if you post your goals, you’re more likely to achieve them,” he said.
“And I think we’re just part of a really fantastic community with Uptowne Olds here. They’ve really welcomed me since we opened the practice two years ago.
“You’re trying to figure out ways that you can still support your community and not be indoors.
“This year felt like a good time to try it.”
McPherson checked out various running clubs around the province and liked a program that the Runner’s Soul Marathon Club in Lethbridge operated. He said he got their permission to model his club on theirs.
He plans to offer an eight-week training plan to get people ready to comfortably run a five-K loop in town twice a week.
"We’re starting simple,” he said. "I’ve really learned that it’s crawl, walk run.
“And even the most simple things that you think you’re organizing can be a bit of a medusa and take on all these different things, so I think to try and ensure the success of it, I want to start as simple as possible.”
If the club is successful, McPherson’s aim is to participate together in a run elsewhere in the province as well.
One idea is to participate in Loop The Lake at Chestermere, which offers five and 10-K runs as well as a half-marathon. It takes place on June 11 this year.
Longer term, McPherson said he’d love an opportunity for his firm to sponsor a run in hosted in Olds each year.
“I tend to dream fairly big, but you look at how many races there are around the province and in these communities and to me, we don’t really have that in Olds," he said.
