Running groups might be the key to becoming an avid runner

Runners are gearing up for this weekend’s Twin Cities Marathon.  

Participants have been training for months. They’ve pushed through mental and physical barriers, they’ve hit their strides and they’re chasing a “runner’s high” to the finish line.  

Getting to where you can run a marathon is no easy task, and getting started as a runner can be just as daunting as a 26.2-mile goal. But you don’t have to go at it alone. Running groups and running communities around Minnesota aren’t just helping people run a marathon — they specialize in helping people complete their first mile.  

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with three runners about the joys and pains of running. You’ll hear how to get started and how to join a running community. We’ll also hear from a Twin Cities organization bringing people together through running teams.  

Guests:  

• Mishka Vertin is the co-founder and executive director of Mile in My Shoes, an organization that connects runners throughout the Twin Cities with people experiencing homelessness, in recovery or in transition from incarnation or military service through running teams.  

• Andrea Haus is the community and marketing manager at Mill City Running in northeast Minneapolis and Saint City Running in St Paul. These two local running shops hosts group runs and other events throughout the Twin Cities. 

• Jena Ziegler is a physical therapist and a board-certified lymphedema specialist at Park Nicollet Rehabilitation in Maple Grove, Minn. She’s also an orthopedic clinical specialist.  

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.  

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.