“[In Hawaii] I told all my coworkers, ‘Hey, I’m gonna run every day if you want to join me, I’m going to come up with some routes, let’s do it,” Faughnder said. “By the end of it we had a crew of three to six people that were down to go and get coffee and go for a run. I got some people up to their first 5K and their first 10K and that just felt really good. When I got home from that trip, I kind of had the impetus to start the run club.”
Faughnder said the first run club meetings were casual, with an emphasis on making running fun for those who may have previously had a negative association with the sport.
From its humble beginnings, Faughnder said the club has come to host anywhere from 40 to 100 runners at its 7 p.m. Thursday meetings. According to their Instagram, @eaglerockrunclub, they also meet on Mondays at 7 a.m. for Java Jogs, where members can run and get coffee at local shops, as well as for longer weekend trail runs.
ERRC member Jasmine Sanchez said she found the club through an online search for third spaces. Sanchez said she was interested in the club’s preparation for the 2023 LA Marathon. According to Sanchez, joining ERRC helped her find camaraderie within the running community.
“I went to high school here, elementary school here, and it’s not until now that I feel like I know people that live here,” Sanchez said.
Faughnder said at ERRC, running almost comes second to the fostering of a welcoming atmosphere and energy in the club.
“There are so many places in this world that are unwelcoming to all sorts of people […] this run club, it shouldn’t be that.” Faughnder said, “I would hope that if it was someone’s first time at run club that they never felt unwelcome.”
ERRC runner Angel Mendoza said he joined the club because he was seeking a community. He recently participated for the first time in the 2025 LA Marathon, Mendoza said.
“It was intense,” Mendoza said. “I would say the whole time I just tried to remain positive and remember that we’re out here to have fun.”
This year marked ERRC’s third participation in the LA Marathon. With about 50 to 60 members running the race, Faughnder said ERRC’s non-runners offered essential emotional support through cheering.
“As someone who has run the marathon without a crew many times, having that there is the most special thing,” Faughnder said.
With the club’s increasing size, Faughnder said challenges such as inclusive pacing and road safety have become more prevalent. Volunteer club captains play a role in maintaining both safety and inclusivity, according to Faughnder.
Faughnder has many hopes for the club’s future. He has drawn inspiration from friends at the neighboring Koreatown Run Club, who have been able to sponsor members’ participation in races outside of California and internationally. He also said that he hopes to work with Occidental College to provide a track space for members to train.
Although ERRC continues to expand, the mission stays the same, according to Faughnder. As members gathered before the Thursday night run, Mendoza said that there are many things she loves about being a member of ERRC.
“[It’s] just hanging out with friends, building relationships and getting a little faster along the way,” Mendoza said.
Contact Shea Salcedo at ssalcedo@oxy.edu
