Like many runners, I sometimes find myself questioning my choices as I’m running up a steep hill or navigating a particularly challenging course. While catching my breath, I often ask myself – Why am I doing this; maybe I should take up curling instead?

I’ve been an on-and-off again SFR member since 2014. I’m originally from Seattle and have lived in a number of Puget Sound region cities and throughout many of Seattle’s neighborhoods.

Running wasn’t always my hobby. Back in middle school, I vividly recall panting and dragging myself around the track during a Presidential Fitness Test. My love for running grew later, during high school.

I initially turned to running as a coping mechanism when I moved with my family to Orting, Washington, for high school. As one of the first bi-racial Black and white families to move to the town, it was initially a struggle for me to make friends as I was often the first Black person many of my classmates had met, and there were many cultural differences between my more urban upbringing and that of exurban kids in Orting. During my first year in the town, my school guidance counselor recommended I join track and field to help me connect with people on a personal level.

She was right! During my first spring in Orting, I joined my track and field team. I found myself going from being left out of many conversations and chances to sit with folks at lunch to being invited to after-school activities and meetups. I also enjoyed the thrill of nailing the perfect precision required to successfully bust out of starting blocks and sprint down the track field against competitors.

After that first season of track and field, I knew running was my sport. Unfortunately, as my luck would have it, track and field was a spring-only sport at my school and I needed to find a way to fill my time with other activities in-between then. Halfway through that following summer, I decided to join my school’s cross country (XC) team in the fall.

Initially, I was miserable at XC. I often finished dead last or had to take many walk breaks during the 3-mile runs.Over the years, I gradually became a decent distance runner as I learned to moderate my pace throughout long runs and use my ability to sprint strategically at the end of races.

[Josh after running a race with Orting High School Track and Field]

I briefly attempted to run college track and field but eventually found through a bit of soul searching that it wasn’t what I was meant to do. I gave up running in large group settings and pivoted to the occasional run on my own which gave me a similar endorphin rush but without a connection to any sort of community.

I returned to running with larger groups in 2014 after a friend convinced me to try out a Saturday SFR run at Green Lake. The Saturday runs were perfect for me as a returning runner. I quickly was able to learn the routes and find fellow runners who had a similar pace as me. What kept me coming back week after a week, however, was the people.

People like Linda Baker, Jon Nicholson, Kevin Otten, Ryan Fillion, Nellie Waddell, and many others made each run feel like more than just exercise. Each run and following coffee meetup planted seeds of many relationships I still have today.

Over the years, the SFR community gave me many memories. Moments like running Ragnar Road Northwest Passage with fellow SFR runners and Vancouver Frontrunners, game nights at friends’ homes, and many many delicious potlucks.

[Harmut, Josh, and Vancouver Frontrunners at Ragnar NW Passage]

I returned to running regularly with SFR in 2021 at the Wednesday night runs. At that point in my life, I was worn down a bit from grad school commitments that had just been completed and life adjustments made during the height of the COVID pandemic. Rejoining SFR provided me with a fresh start to rebuild my life after the worst part of the pandemic had subsided. Most importantly, it allowed me to reprioritize my health and recommit to personal relationships.

I was tremendously thankful for the opportunities to meet new queer people and allies in Seattle during runs, socials, and potlucks. It was one of the parts of life I took for granted before the pandemic.

Since rejoining SFR I’ve been fortunate to meet many new friends, go on fun adventures to nearby forests and bucket list places like the Grand Canyon, and connect with folks I’d lost touch with during my time away from the club. It’s also given me chances to connect with other club members when away from Seattle in cities like Madrid, Vancouver, and San Francisco.

[Leavenworth and Road Trip with Weiwen and Patrick]

[Hiking Mt. Washington with fellow SFR Members]

[Josh running with G Madrid, a Frontrunner Affiliated Club in Madrid, Spain]

Back to the greater question, why do I run?

I have been drawn back time and time again for the community around the sport. In Seattle, SFR has been a regular community I can count on over the years to refresh my own personal energy when I’m feeling down, and push myself towards fitness goals. I can always count on the club, whether it’s needing a cheerleader to motivate me to finish the last uphill mile or navigating personal life milestones, SFR sticks with me even when the going gets tough or I need to take a break or two to catch my breath.

Running the Course with SFR, by Joshua Holland