Horizon West club celebrates two years of running

The Home State Run Club isn’t your typical running group that sends you out with a specific distance in mind.

When organizer Stephanie Rosborg started the club in 2022, she wanted to form a program that gave everyone the opportunity to cross the finish line at the same time to create more camaraderie.

“My husband (Kevin Fairchild) and I had always joined clubs that they had a distance, run a 5K distance, for example, so everyone would run the 5K — but if you’re slow you sometimes return and everyone else has had their beer and is gone,” Rosborg said. “We do 45 minutes total, and it doesn’t matter what your distance is, no matter how far you go, we all go 45 minutes and finish at the same time. We try to make it inclusive for everybody.”

The group started with 32 runners at the first meet-up, and it has grown to more than 100 each week. It’s a mix of walkers, runners, people pushing strollers and other folks with dogs.

“We just want people to get active and get outside,” she said.

According to the group’s Facebook page, “Basically (it’s) an excuse to get outside, be active, hang out with friends and drink a beer in the end.”

Runners use the walking trail that runs alongside the brewery.

Running club members celebrated the group’s second anniversary in February, about two weeks after the brewery opened, Rosborg said. She contacted the owners and struck up a partnership of sorts. Runners meet every Monday evening on the brewery’s patio before the run and celebrate at the end with a beer. In exchange, club members volunteer at various brewery events, such as Oktoberfest and Summerpalooza.

The company also created the logo that is printed on runners’ shirts.

“Home State is our go-to hang out spot in Horizon West,” Rosborg said. “We love going to the weekly events like run club, trivia, jukebox bingo and more. There is always something new to do and someone new to meet.”

MAKING RUNNING FUN

She also makes sure to keep a big emphasis on fun. She and Fairchild set up an official finish line at Home State with music, cowbells and, on occasion, bubbles or confetti.

Many of the Monday runs are themed for holidays and movies.

“We just had a Stars Wars run for Star Wars Day (May 4),” Rosborg said. “We try to make it different themes to … give people a chance to dress up and have fun with it. Our Halloween run is awesome. We did St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day; my husband and I have our anniversary in August, so we’ll bring a cake and have a party with our run club.”

Her favorite, by far, though, is the Christmas in July run. Runners like participating in this one because many of the surrounding restaurants and shops donate gift cards for a big raffle.

“It’s fun and festive and a way to break up the summer fatigue,” she said.

The next themed run is June 3, and participants will be encouraged to don their brightest colors for the Pride Run.

Rosborg always shows up with her container of chalk to write motivational messages along the route ahead of the run. She writes birthday greetings when appropriate; shares song titles and lyrics, such as “Running Up That Hill”; and gives directives, such as, “Imagine Rocky’s theme song here.”

When runners were training for the Walt Disney World races, she announced a “Lilo and Stitch” theme and wrote Ohana messages along the route.

Rosborg is the event coordinator for Sommer Sports, so she is working many of the races her friends are running.

She and Fairchild travel for many of the races in which they participate, and they don’t run in many local races. The first marathon they ran together was Cincinnati’s Flying Pig Marathon, which included an actual pig on the course. They also have participated in the New York City Marathon, and they currently are training for the Berlin Marathon in the fall in Germany. This will be her 17th.

Fairchild and Rosborg make it a point to show up to as many local races as they can to cheer on the Home State Run Club members and take group photos.

“It’s nice to have that support,” Rosborg said. “It’s nice to be there for our friends and the runners.”

A REASON TO RUN

Rosborg said she hasn’t always been into running. In 2011, she found herself battling an autoimmune disease that left her in a wheelchair for a year and a half.

“My motivation was that I was going to run a marathon,” she said. “I dream big.”

She attended rigorous physical therapy sessions to strengthen her body. She progressed to a walk and then to a run. She still has occasional flareups associated with the disease, which necessitates a rest; otherwise, she runs an average of five days a week.

She said she is grateful for the community and for the chance to organize a group of runners who have become friends.

“I think it’s a really great opportunity for people to meet other people,” Rosborg said. “I think it’s great when people meet up and introduce themselves and are open to meeting everybody else.”