‘All faces and paces’: Philly Slow Girl Run Club aims to make running less daunting

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On an unusually warm November evening, around 25 girls gathered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art to head out on a 5K run along Kelly Drive led by Philly Slow Girl Run Club. The mood was somber and turnout was lower than usual, but Abby Ondar, who describes herself as the social chair for the club, assured WHYY News that the morning’s election results were to blame.

Ondar began the meeting with a pep talk and some stretching. As she announced upcoming races, she asked those participating to raise their hands. Proud claps and cheers were extended to those racing and the gloom seemed to fade away in the face of unity and strength.

“It’s a community of women, which is just nice to feel so supported,” Ondar said. “That they feel safe and they have a place that they’re seen and that they matter is kind of the most important thing to us.”

Philly Slow Girl Run Club was created by Paige Black in 2022. At the time, Black had no one to run with, but wanted to run with people who ran like her — at a slower pace. She decided to post in a Facebook group for Philly women with her running schedule and asked if anyone wanted to join her.

“There was I think maybe three of us. Which was so nice because I was expecting zero,” Black recalled of that first meetup. “So then after that run, it went really well. And so we’re like, ‘OK, same time next week?’”

They called themselves “slow girls” and found a need for a run club to accommodate all “paces and faces.” At every run there are different pace groups that each have a leader. There are 11, 12, 13 and 14 minute per mile pace groups that each member can choose from. Members are encouraged to do what feels right for their body on any given day.

Members told WHYY News that they found the club through Instagram and that they followed the page for weeks before having the courage to join in person. The club now has a dedicated following, with more than 50 people coming to run every week.

The group’s Instagram account, @Phillyslowgirlrunclub, has also amassed over 6,000 followers on Instagram.

The group typically holds runs on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. A monthly and weekly schedule of their runs is posted to their Instagram page.

Ondar and a newer member, Lauren Muttel, each joined the club to make friends after moving to Philly. Ondar claims that she has made all of her best friends through joining Philly Slow Girl. She recalls meeting Black at the first run she attended after “stalking” the club’s Instagram page.

“I went right up to her and I was like, ‘Hey, I just love this group and thank you for creating the safe space,’” Ondar said. “And from there, I just saw need for help and we’ve grown so much.”

Muttel, who joined the club more recently, described herself as naturally shy. She lived with her boyfriend in Philly but she felt like she needed to make new friends in the city. She had taken up running and reached out to the group.

“I’m not used to putting myself out there. So when I met the girls and they were so welcoming, I started to just become more involved in the group and looking forward to coming to runs,” Muttel said.

She has now made friends that she hangs out with outside the run club.

“When I first moved to Philly, I remember sitting in my apartment being like, ‘What am I doing here? I don’t know anybody.’ And now I can just call someone up on a night and be like, ‘Do you want to go for a run together?’” Muttel said.

Another unexpected outcome of joining the club is the gained confidence to try new things. Many members were intimated by racing or thought it was not for them, but now those who had never raced before, are signing up for their first 5Ks, half-marathons and full-marathons.

“[When I] first joined Run Club, they were like, ‘You should do a race.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t think it’s for me.’ But they kind of built my confidence up and inspired me to join and sign up for my first race, which is this Saturday,” Muttel said.

Ondar beamed with pride when talking about the progress she has seen in the runners. She emphasized the need for community and part of her executive board responsibilities include event planning, sponsorships and collaborations. These events include the “cheer zones” at each race, which make sure runners feel supported in their huge accomplishments.

Lifting women up is at the heart of everything Philly Slow Girl Run Club does.

“I think community is very important right now,” Black said. “Especially everything that’s going on and just being a woman or any like women identifying plus person — this is the club to be in. Because we all need to stick together through these terrible times.”