Alvin M. Keeling 
MIDLAND Each week, runners from Midland will gather on different courses to take part in different running trainings within the Midland Run Crew group.
The group was formed in 2016 by Robert Gomez. Since its founding, Gomez says the group has grown over time and brought in new members, including Midland Mayor Patrick Payton.
One of the activities the club participates in is its weekly run at the Tall City Brewery in Midland.
Gomez said the group originally started as a men’s running club, but is now a co-ed group.
“Then it became the 432 Crew because we wanted to go with the surrounding counties,” Gomez said. “We started doing that and got some traction. The mayor, Patrick Payton began to board. But then we started seeing other bands popping up like in Odessa and Andrews and we started making it exclusive to Midland and we started operating as Midland Run Crew.
The name change was made in 2019. Since then, the Run Crew now has its own day throughout the city of Midland every October 12th.
The Beer Runs also started in 2019 and since then have continued almost every Thursday at the Tall City Brewery.
Next week’s race will be around 6 p.m.
“In 2019 I was friends with the guys at Tall City Brewery and we had this vision because all of these towns were doing beer tours and it was a great way to break down barriers and get people together. feel welcome,” Gomez said. “We have one, two and three mile options. Whether you are running, walking or jogging, you are at least active. That’s what we wanted to do as an icebreaker. It has been gratifying. We hope to start memberships. It evolves slowly. »
Of course, with a sport like running, there are many health benefits to participating in the Midland Run Crew.
One of the benefits of joining the club is meeting new people.
“There are a lot of runners who have come from Houston and Dallas and are trying to figure out how to hook up, how to meet new people,” Gomez said.
But Gomez also talked about the mental benefits.
“There is also a mental aspect,” Gomez said. “With running, there is a lot of mental training. If you can tap into that, it will flow into your daily life, your home life, and your church life. It allows you to break through those barriers. That mental toughness helps create those endorphins.
The band continued through the onset of the pandemic.
“Throughout the whole pandemic, we kept running,” Gomez said. “Yeah, we kept our pace and our distance, but to be able to fight some of those things with a healthy cardiovascular system and good physical shape is always good.”
Those interested in joining need not worry about having to go at a fast pace or long distance.
“Some people will start with walking, and walking is also beneficial,” Gomez said. “It’s about allowing this platform to feel comfortable moving into 5K. … We try not to impose a schedule on people trying to run with us.
The goal is to make others feel welcome.
“It’s mostly us helping other people achieve their goals,” Gomez said. “Everyone has their goals and wants to achieve their goals. As a community of runners, we want to help them achieve this through encouragement and connection. It certainly helps. If you’re running with your group, it gives you an extra boost to know that someone has your back. It’s something we offer. But we make so many friendships outside of the club that we find each other afterwards and friendships that we might not have had. It’s really beneficial in that sense. It’s really grown.
For Gomez, who graduated from Midland High, he didn’t actually start running until after high school.
“I actually started later in life,” Gomez said. “I had a family and everything. It was around 2013 when my daughter was in elementary school and they had an after-school running program. … She started organizing this after-school program in 2013. I was overweight I was around 210 lbs and I couldn’t keep up with my little girl and I thought that was not right That’s when I started my journey It was an eight program weeks leading up to their first 5k. I would run with them and do my own workout. I went from 210 to 180. I lost 30 pounds and it was my first 5k. I ran at a pace of about seven minutes. I finished third and that’s what touched me. I realized that if I can put in all the dedication and everything, I can really do something and that’s where I got started my journey.
The group also meets on other days of the week, including Tuesdays and Saturdays.
“Tuesdays are track Tuesdays where we do speed intervals and things like that,” Gomez said. “On Thursday, we do 6 miles before 6 a.m. It’s a bit our rhythm of the day. Saturdays are our long runs. Depending on what people are training for, it could be in multiple places. Anywhere from 10+ miles is what we generally do. But it’s here in town. Sometimes we do trail runs in Big Spring.
If you are going to
- What: Midland Run Crew Beer Races.
- When: 6 p.m. every Thursday.
- Where: Big city brewery.
- For more information: tinyurl.com/3dfzcaac
