MISSOULA — A Missoula running club began with a mission to make a safe space for queer runners to create community while exercising earlier this year.
MTN connected with the organizer, Alec Cottrell, to learn how this found family hit the ground running.
“Sometimes being queer isn't always easy and we have difficulty whether that's with family, whether that's with friends," he shared.
For ultrarunner Cottrell, moving to Missoula three years ago sparked an idea.
“We didn't really have a platform where queer runners whether they’re trail runners or road runners to come together and hang out, run, get to know each other, and just have some community," he recalled.
Cottrell partnered with Run Wild Missoula, eager to make a safe space for LGBTQ+ runners.
"There is a five-mile and a three-mile loop," said Cottrell describing the distance of runs around town.
He noted that everyone can participate no matter their age or speed.
Queer Run Missoula meets on the second Tuesday of each month to build community and running stamina.
“I didn't quite have like a super big queer community in Missoula and this has been integral in getting that going. Like these [runners] have become friends of mine," participant Grace Stavich shared.
Stavich explained that she comes back to the group each month for the inclusive environment more so than the running.
“I’m here mostly for the social aspect of it and a lot less for the running and really everyone can enjoy themselves here,” she said.
After the exercise, Run Wild provides a free drink as a cool down and an opportunity for people to slow down and chat.
“It feels really lovely, like it feels nice to not have [being queer] be a topic of conversation and just kind of to be an open space for all of us to be," Stavich noted.
Plus, the group spends their time volunteering for other Run Wild Missoula events around Missoula.
"There's a lot of people who volunteered for an aid station at the Missoula Marathon," said Cottrell. He continued, “We're not just part of this group, we're part of the community. We as a queer community can be representative of the queer community.”
The next run takes place at Bayern Brewing at 6 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2024.
