Ah, summertime. With warmer temps, melting snow, and wildflowers in abundance, it’s a great time to get outside and play in the mountains right in our backyard. And one of the best ways to do so? By joining your local rad running crew (i.e., Women of the Wasatch) for a trail run!
But let’s be real—going to your first (or third, or tenth) group trail run can feel intimidating. Though there are folks running for a variety of reasons and at different paces, it can feel overwhelming to see people zooming up and down the trails at (what appears to be) lightning speed and to feel the pressure to keep up.
As we head into a summer season filled with fun WoW runs and events, we want to ensure our runs are a place where everyone feels safe, celebrated, and supported on the trails. Whether you’re pushing the pace as you train for a 50-miler, just beginning your trail running journey, or rocking a recovery run while chatting with folks around you, there’s a place for you on our WoW runs.
One of the ways we’re aiming to support and celebrate runners at every pace is through our new group: the party pace group!
Today, we’re telling you everything you need to know about WoW’s party pace: what it means to run with this group, who party pacers are, and why they’re critical to the mission of Women of the Wasatch.
Ready to get this party started? Read on to learn more!
First things first: What is WoW’s party pace group?
The party pace is for anyone who wants to celebrate getting out and moving their body, embrace a mix of hiking and running, rock a recovery jog, or maintain a pace that supports connecting, chatting, and having a good time. If you feel nervous about what pace people run at, whether you’ll be able to keep up, and how you’ll meet new people, the party pace group is the place for YOU.
In addition, since we break into smaller groups to minimize impact to both trails and wildlife, the party pace group is critical to what we do (rockstars of the WoW community, you might say). For both safety purposes and because community-building is central to our mission, we never want folks to run alone. By having a party pace group, we can ensure those on our group runs always have someone to run (and belt TSwift songs) with.
Is there a party pace group on every run?
Each week, we post WoW-hosted events in our Discord channel. For our larger meetups (say, our Tuesday night SLC runs), we have designated party pacers to lead our party pace groups. For our smaller meetups, groups tend to stick together (just due to their size!). If you’re interested in rocking the party pace on a group run that doesn’t have a designated party pacer, feel free to reach out to the person that created the event on Discord or to any of the folks at the run when you get there.
At the start of each run with a designated party pace crew, a WoW leader will do a quick round of introductions and specify who the party pacer is. There’s also a handy-dandy website where you can find the party pacer’s name and contact info. (PS—You can use that same form to sign up to volunteer as a party pacer. More on that to come!)
We also have a designated spot in our Discord for people to meet and connect with running partners. This way, folks who run similar paces can schedule their own meetups and group runs. If going this route, we highly recommend having a conversation about whether you plan to stay together for the duration of the run or not, so everyone feels comfortable when you take to the trails!
Who are the party pacers?
We’re so glad you asked! They are members of the WoW community who volunteer each week. They come from all different trail running backgrounds, but are united by their love for exploring the mountains—especially alongside other rad, mountain-loving folks!
Which leads us to our next point…
You should consider signing up to be a party pacer!
Seriously. Here are a few reasons why:
Accountability: Trail running is great. But some days? Especially rainy/chilly/dark/windy days? Getting out there is really tough. Signing up as a party pacer is a great way to hold yourself accountable for attending.
Camaraderie: It’s always fun to run with and meet new people! Being a party pacer on a group run is a great way to do this.
Community: Party pacers are core to WoW’s mission of fostering a positive, empowering community of female-identifying runners. If you’ve been attending runs for a while and haven’t been a party pacer, consider signing up and helping us further strengthen our crew!
Prizes, babyyyyy: Party pacers get entered into our quarterly WoW drawing for rad swag and gear! It’s one way we can say thanks and show our appreciation for what they do for our community.
Did we sell you??! If so, you can sign up to be a party pacer here!
Wrapping up
Hopefully, this post provides a good intro to WoW’s new party pace, clarifies who party pacers are, and inspires YOU to join the party pace group for a run (whether as a party pacer, or just as a participant).
If you have any questions about our party pace, hit us up in Discord. And if you want to sign up to be a party pacer, do so here!
See you on the trails!