Brainsport has partnered with lululemon to offer a new free run club on Monday evenings.
Brainsport employee Ali Bergeron is leading the club from the lululemon store downtown starting at 7 p.m.
The runs will last from 30 minutes to an hour and are designed to ensure no one gets left behind.
Olivia Bird, the assistant store manager of lululemon Saskatoon, said the store wanted to start the club “as a new way to sweat, grow, and connect with our local community through run.
“We know that Brian and the Brainsport team are experts in this, and couldn’t think of anyone better to collaborate with,” she said.
Bergeron and Bird say they aim to make the run club as inclusive as possible.
Anyone is welcome to participate and the group is particularly geared toward beginners.
“We want everybody to feel very welcome at any level,” Bergeron said.
On top of the weekly runs, the group will occasionally meet in lululemon for educational sessions focussed on things like running form and how to dress for running.
The inaugural Monday night run was held Jan. 6, just as the cold snap was settling over the province. But Bergeron said seven runners still showed up and had fun.
“It was minus-14 with a windchill so it wasn’t very pleasant, but it was still OK. People were still very enthusiastic and really enjoyed it,” she said.
She said she hopes the number of people attending the Monday night group will eventually grow. If numbers permit, the group may start splitting off with group leaders running at different paces, as is seen at Brainsport’s larger Wednesday night and Saturday morning run clubs.
Come the spring, the group will be led by Jen Kripki, a certified personal trainer, certified fitness instructor and registered massage therapist with Inner Strength Fitness and Training.
In addition to joining forces with lululemon to offer a new run club, Brainsport also started selling some of lululemon’s running-related apparel earlier this month. Stop by the store to see what we have in stock.
