The Running Collective
Community of movement.
Birthdays are fun.
Good excuse to relax, have a nice meal, party with friends. Have some cake.
Renato Pinto may do those things. But first he’s going to run 100 miles.
“Happy birthday to me,” he said.
Sure. If you say so.
The guy loves to run. He and his wife Katherine are all about fitness and moving and being healthy. They also love sharing that passion with others.
So last fall they started The Running Collective, a group open to anyone who wants to get together, have a nice run, and just enjoy each others’ company.
“We really just wanted to build a community in Pittsburg centered around running,” Renato said. “My wife and I had been running together for a couple years. It would have been fine to keep doing that, but what good is a passion for something if you don’t share it with others?”
The Running Collective is as pure as it is simple. It’s a free thing. There’s no official membership or anything like that. It’s a community. It’s people coming together to run, to talk, to challenge and motivate each other.
“We all run at our own pace,” Renato said. “We want everyone to have fun with it. If you’re not enjoying yourself, you’re not going to get very far.”
Erin Rivero, who runs regularly with the group, said she enjoys the connections she’s making with other runners.
“The running community is a unique one to get involved in,” she said. “You are each others’ biggest supporters and cheerleaders, but you’re also constantly competing with each other to do better. It’s inspiring.
“I’ve had people reach out to me since getting back into running to share their journeys. It’s truly amazing to have these connections.”
Aaron Troglia said being in the group has made him a better runner.
“Having a group of people who share the same interests in running, racing and overall fitness has helped make me a better runner and given me a great opportunity to meet people in the community,” he said.
That’s what it’s all about, Renato said. It’s about running, yes, but it’s really about people.
“I’ve met some really interesting people since we started this,” he said. “We hang out outside of this thing and have become great friends. Being able to bring people together through running and being active is a great thing for us and for Pittsburg.”
As for that 100-mile run … on his birthday?
“It’s just a bucket list thing I want to do,” he said. “I tried it once before and made it 74 miles. I want to try again.”
Check out The Running Collective on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/runningcollective