Athletics Ontario Running Podcast · John Shep

EP 192: Lauren Mantha, A Running List: Ready to Find Your Run Crew? - TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

·30 min·2 clips

Lauren says one first run club led to coffee, new friends, and weekly returns.

1. Athletics Ontario Running Podcast EP 192 centers on Lauren Mantha and her project A Running List. 2. Host John Shep introduces Lauren Mantha as the creator of A Running List and a supporter of Athletics Ontario. 3. The episode asks how one runner turned a first-time run-club experience into a website and community resource. 4. Lauren says she got serious about running in 2023 and used A Million Reasons Run as accountability. 5. She set a goal of 31 kilometers in 31 days and linked the challenge to charity support for SickKids and hospitals across Ontario. 6. She says posting the challenge on Instagram helped her stay on track and built a routine. 7. After the half marathon in November, Lauren went to cure club at 6:00 in the morning. 8. She describes arriving nervous, introducing herself to two women, and realizing the group ran at a conversational pace she could join. 9. Coffee after that first session led to regular attendance and more run clubs across Toronto. 10. Lauren says she has lived in Toronto for nine years but felt most at home once she found the running space. 11. She connects that feeling to growing up in Brockville and doing competitive dancing in a close-knit group. 12. Lauren says run clubs gave her the team atmosphere she missed after university and nursing work. 13. She built A Running List first as an Instagram carousel and then as a website when the information outgrew the format. 14. She says runninglist.com was available, so she used Squarespace and YouTube tutorials over Christmas to build pages, buttons, and maps. 15. Lauren says the site now includes Canadian run clubs and pins in Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia. 16. She wants travelers to find a local run crew in places like Amsterdam and meet residents who can share neighborhood tips. 17. Lauren describes a puppy-run event in August with Puppy Sphere, a Toronto start point on Queen Street, and a 5K plus optional puppy yoga. 18. She says partnerships with brands like Wake Water and Impact Kitchen help make events sustainable and welcoming. 19. The conversation stays practical and upbeat, with John Shep asking direct questions and Lauren answering in a friendly, reflective style. 20. Listeners who like Toronto running culture, run-club logistics, and community events will get the most from it.

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