A new Hyattsville running club, which got its start earlier this year, meets each week for a run welcoming anyone who wants to join.
Since Mike Cemprola, Randelle Ripton and David Rease started the group in January, RunnersHy, as its called, has met at 9 a.m. on Sundays at Vigilante Coffee in Hyattsville for a three- or four-mile run on local trails.
There is no set pace and runners of all skill levels are invited to join the group, which takes a different route each week, going up to College Park through the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail or heading south toward Bladensburg Waterfront Park.
The runners all have different motivations and experiences. Cemprola began running to lose weight in 2005 and ended up doing marathons and even a 50-miler before dialing back due to an injury. Ripton began running outside during the pandemic.
Member Chelsea Champlin told the Hyattsville Wire that the running group, which has been as few as five and as many as 18, has become a community of its own.
“It’s been really great to celebrate birthdays, meet members’ new babies, and cheer on and congratulate runners in their races,” she said.
After the run, the group of about a dozen runners often stops for coffee and pastries at Vigilante, and always posting a group photo on its Instagram page afterward with a map of that week’s run. They’re even planning to print up matching T-shirts.
Runners on the Route 1 corridor can also join College Park Parkrun, which meets every Saturday at 9 a.m. on the Paint Branch Trail at 4289 Metzerott Rd.
Further, the Prince George’s Running Club holds regular runs around the area.
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