Two new group options available for Valley walkers and runners

A new pair of weekly community fitness events are coming to the Valley, joining a series of other weekly groups and events designed to get residents moving over the summer.

In Wasilla, a new weekly walk and run event will include raffles, prizes and fundraising for Alaska’s Healthy Futures nonprofit, which promotes health and wellness for all ages.

Starting and ending at Bearpaw River Brewing Company Wednesdays at 5 p.m. from May 11 to August 17, the new free Valley Dash Run will be the only such event weekly in Wasilla, said organizer Kaitlyn McGilvray.

Owner of Kaitlyn McGilvray State Farm Agency, McGilvray said she wanted to create for Wasilla what Palmer already has through its weekly Aktive Soles Happy Run, but with a twist. Unlike the Happy Run which rotates its focus, the Valley Dash Run is organized through its own nonprofit and focuses on raising money only for Healthy Futures. It includes set courses covering a variety of runner and walker-friendly distances.

“Our thought with the walk-run-stroll is that we can get people out,” she said. “Maybe a 5k is overwhelming. The goal is to get the parents out walking, pushing the stroller. We didn’t want to target just runners.”

Each participant will be eligible for a weekly raffle ticket for a prize donated by the business sponsor which rotates weekly. Additional tickets can be purchased, with proceeds going to Healthy Futures. McGilvray is working five other local business owners to organize and create the event: Ryan Berry president of Amped Mortgage; Hailee Rahm from Signature Real Estate Alaska; Lynn Reynolds, owner of Denali Gymnastics and Fitness; Ryan Childers, coach at Denali Gymnastics and Fitness; and Kim Allen, owner of Kimberly Allen Bookkeeping.

“Even if you come and hang out in the community the goal is to just get people out and hopefully doing something with their family,” McGilvray said. “There’s not a lot of fun and free out there.”

Meanwhile in Palmer, a weekly Thursday evening meet-up has kicked-off for runners looking for some group mileage. Spearheaded by three local runners, including Wes Hoskins from the MatSu Parks and Trails Foundation, the group is designed to give participants some new courses to run around Palmer and friends to do it with.

Unlike the Happy Run, which occurs in the same area using two consistent courses on Monday evenings and is friendly to a wide variety of participants, Hoskins said the Run Palmer group will have six to eight mile courses announced weekly via an email listserv.

“We have a standing day and a rotating cast of coordinators — anyone who wants to can pick a route and a location,” he said. “Because it’s a community thing and everybody is doing all the same trails and road runs anyway, we might as well have a day when we all do them together.”

Hoskins emphasized that their group isn’t meant to replace anyone, including the nonprofit MatSu Running Club which has track workouts on Tuesdays and trail runs on Thursdays. Unlike that club, which includes dedicated coaching, they want Run Palmer to be less structured — and free. They also don’t want it to be seasonal.

“We’ve been planning on doing it year-round if we can keep the momentum going,” he said.

Those interested in the Valley Dash Run can soon visit the www.getmovingmatsu.org to learn more. Runners looking to join Run Palmer should email runpalmerak@gmail.com.