We are lucky in Oregon, where there are many local running clubs from Ashland to Portland and everywhere in between. We’re also lucky in that there are people out there who put on free group runs, help with races, and support youth and other cause running and racing programs. Southern Oregon Running Enthusiasts is one of these clubs.
For a relatively under the radar running club in Southern Oregon, the Southern Oregon Running Enthusiasts, or SORE (ha!), is actually over 1000 members strong on their Meetup page. Here’s a little background:
Medford is in the heart of the Rogue Valley. The Southern Oregon Running Enthusiasts was created with the intent of creating a running community that supports and encourages a healthy and active lifestyle through group events and participation. Our goal is to try and have something for everyone and the more runners that attend events the better chance that there will be running buddies for all. Whether you’re looking to increase your cardiovascular endurance, meet some new exercise buddies or have training partners for your next race you’ve come to the right place.
There is such a wide array of running options throughout the week, that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly their set schedule each week. It isn’t uncommon to see a variety of member-led subgroups on the same day, yet at different times and locations. For example, on January 22nd, there is a 515am run at South Medford High School, a New Year’s Resolution Couch 2 5k group at 615am, and a 615pm “Hot Runs, Cold Beer” group at a location that hasn’t been determined yet. Just next week (January 21-28), there are over 15 different running groups going on! These runs seem to run the whole gamut, from track workouts and trail runs, to pub runs and training events. It’s quite the nice cross-section of days, times, locations, and styles to keep everyone going strong!
If you join in on the group, you will receive discounts from Rogue Valley Runners in Ashland and discounted entry fees to some of Rogue Valley Race Group events. You can also join their group on Facebook as well. I travel to Medford a few times a year for work, and now I don’t think I have much of an excuse to not join in!
