Meet Run Beer Repeat – A Social Running Club
Editor’s Note: This post is written by guest contributor, Brad Knutson, and has been edited for length and clarity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Minneapolis Running.
The running community is made up of an incredibly diverse group of people. Runners of all shapes, sizes, and abilities enjoy working up a sweat and celebrating afterward. Enter Run Beer Repeat, where a passion for running meets the responsible consumption of local craft beer.
Related: 5 Benefits of Running with a Group
Meet Run Beer Repeat
Run Beer Repeat was started in the summer of 2014 by Derek Allmendinger, who is currently the Head Brewer at Unmapped Brewing Company. After the birth of his first daughter, Derek decided to start a running streak in order to improve his health and set a good example for his children. He made it 252 days before injuries caught up with him, but it led him to the decision to meet other craft beer enthusiasts shared his love of running. Derek contacted some people he knew in the craft beer community and the group’s first run was in May of 2014. Derek, and Dave and Audrey Royer attended the first official club run at Republic in Uptown. Ever since then the group has been running around the Cities and continuing to grow.
Run Beer Repeat loves promoting a healthy lifestyle while responsibly enjoying local craft beer every now and then. They firmly believe that responsible consumption of craft beer can be a part of healthy living, and also is the perfect post-run beverage to share with friends.
There is no fee to join the club, and no commitment required. All you need to join the group is a pair of running shoes and an enthusiasm for craft beer.
When and Where?
Run Beer Repeat meets on the first and third Thursdays at 6:30 PM each month for a casual 30-minute run. The group welcomes all paces and abilities and frequently has couch-to-5kers and walkers join.
The club meets at various locations throughout the Twin Cities metro area, typically running from breweries and craft beer-focused pubs. Some of their favorite and frequent locations are Fair State in Northeast Minneapolis and Bad Weather in St. Paul. The group mixes in some repeat favorite locations and makes sure to visit all the new breweries opening each year. They make an effort to visit locations in both Minneapolis and St. Paul as well as the metro area. If there is a local brewery you’ve been meaning to check out, chances are Run Beer Repeat has run there or will be running from there soon.
The group also takes occasional weekend road trips to out-state breweries, even visiting Wisconsin a time or two. They also will be fielding two RAGNAR Trail Northwoods teams this year, including an ultra team.
Run Beer Repeat Members
One of the qualities the group is most proud of is the diverse group of runners that show up for club runs. The group ranges from walkers and couch-to-5kers to 100-mile ultramarathoners. There are beer milers, triathletes, competitive racers, and members of the Marathon Maniacs and 50 States clubs. Not bad for a bunch of “beer runners”!
As the club’s name suggests, the group is also comprised of craft beer enthusiasts. They have members with connections to just about every local brewery, so it’s not uncommon for the group to get preferential treatment and perhaps even a post-run brewhouse tour. The group is made up of commercial brewers and employees of breweries, homebrewers, and of course the regular beer lover. If you love chatting about running over a beer or chatting about beer over a run, you’ll find many like-minded folks in this group.
Along with a passion for running and a love of craft beer comes the desire to support local businesses. Allmendinger originally started the club with the hopes to give back to his community, and the group has taken that idea and ran with it (pun intended).
So, if you enjoy chatting about running over a beer, or chatting about beer over a run, you’ll fit right in!
If you have any questions check out the group’s website, their Facebook page, or send them an email. The group is extremely friendly and happy to answer any questions you can come up with.
About Brad Knutson:
Brad is an avid runner, with his favorite distance being the marathon. He’s working towards running a marathon in all 50 states. When he’s not running, he’s traveling, drinking local craft beer, snuggling with his two cats, or playing boot hockey.
