Running Crews- A History

Mike Saes captured by Akira Ruiz

With the global explosion of running crews, it seems like there’s a Bridge the Gap event most weekends. With this expansion the message can be diluted, and the origins and reasons behind the movement can be lost in the mists of time. Mike Saes is the godfather of crew running, as sure as Afrika Bambaataa is the godfather of hip hop. One of the commandments of hip hop is that you pay respect to those who paved the way. To quote Saes, “It came from gang culture to boogie crews, popping crews, b-boy crews and now it’s running crews. It’s the same exact hip hop energy which we find through running.”

Advertisement

The Six Marathon Majors

Legend has it that 666 is the number of the beast. If the beast has 3 horns, and each of those horns represents 1 of those 6s, it’s a good bet that for runners, 1 of those horns embodies the 6 marathon majors. How else can you describe the hell one goes through to achieve the hallowed goal of running all 6? I caught up with Junior Robbani, of Run Dem Crew, to find out.

The Speed Project

I sat down to interview Jason Lawrence of Run Dem Crew about The Speed Project.

Usain Bolt and Football

A news story appeared this week in which Usain Bolt is said to be welcome to train with Borussia Dortmund. He’s a lifelong Manchester United fan. So could we see Bolt replace his running spikes with football boots after he retires from track in London at the Athletics World Championships in summer 2017?

Track East with Run Dem Crew

Picture by Darren Lewis Harris

It has come as something of a surprise to me that I’ve never written a blog post about Track East, the weekly Run Dem Crew track training that has been taking place at Mile End Stadium for the past 4 years. Having attended the anniversary celebrations last night, I’ve decided to put that right with an explanation of what takes place. I hope it will encourage more new faces to come down an be part of the magic.

Track East, Thursdays, 6.45pm, Mile End Stadium, 190 Burdett Road, London

Running in Tokyo

One of the ways running has transformed my life is that wherever I go in the world, I’m able to tap into ready-made running communities, make new friends, and experience a local perspective. The global explosion in running, and in particular the Bridge the Gap movement, is akin to the acid-house cultural shift in the late ’80s. The drugs have been replaced with endorphins but the love is the same. This post is about my experiences running in Tokyo with Athletics Far East and En Route Running Club. I hope to write about the crews I’ve run with in Hong Kong and Thailand in future.

Runner’s Knee

For as long as I’ve been running, I’ve suffered mildly from runner’s knee. I over-pronate, which means my feet (and knees) fall inward when I run. This creates undue stress on them at times, particularly if running on an uneven surface like my favourite, the towpath by the River Lea. What then happens isn’t pain, but I can feel the quadriceps tendon doing some gymnastics over my patella that neither were designed for, before everything pops back into place. I often experience this while running, and become more mindful about my running form in these moments.

Brave New World

This year is shaping up nicely. It was a daunting step leaving my job without something to go to, but I’m feeling so much better in this brave new world. I’m healthy, strong, and enjoying having time to follow my creative passions and absorb the wonderful culture London town has to offer. Here follows a whistle-stop tour on some of what’s been popping off in my life and what’s on the horizon.

Independent State of Run Dem Crew

Now that we’re two Tuesdays into the 2016 edition of Run Dem Crew, I’m pleased to say  the new independence of the crew is a very good thing indeed. We’re no longer tied to one brand, which means we can work with a range of partners, and in week 1, Charlie Dark’s diplomatic yet candid speech explaining the reasons for this transition made sure everyone was on the same page. It was humbling to hear of the personal sacrifices that have been made to ensure the crew continues to flourish and we are very grateful. Charlie gave all present a clear understanding of the foundations of the crew movement and its subsequent development, including the highs of the first Bridge the Gaps and the low points when the movement has been divided or split. I’m not going to go into details out of respect for all concerned, but I feel excited to be part of this movement and confident that Run Dem Crew is moving forward with integrity and vision.

Ain’t No Crew Like Run Dem Crew

Wherever I lay my tee-shirt, that’s my home. That’s been the situation for Run Dem Crew recently, but this week we’ve heard that a new location for our Tuesday sessions has been found, and normal service will resume on January 12th. Whoop, whoop!

That didn’t stop Dan Maskit, affectionately known as Run Dem Bear, from organising one of several unofficial runs last night. After a Christmas break we were all missing our running family and it was great to meet up with some of the crew again and share stories of our Christmas and New Year exploits. We are a community and home or no home, we will make sure we meet up and support each other.