Over the past few years the Los Angeles running scene has changed dramatically and alongside the more traditional running clubs, we have seen a new type of social group emerging in response to a variety of needs. These range from reclaiming the streets of DTLA to building a sense of community amongst local residents and visitors alike.
As more and more women laced up their running shoes and started to hit the streets, the need to create a safe space to empower one another and build community was heard by Blacklist runner Vanessa and LISTA, a women’s led run powered by BlacklistLA, came to life.
As they marked their 1st-year anniversary, we interviewed Vanessa about her take at one year with LISTA and future projects. Here’s what she has to say:
WHAT IS RUNNING TO YOU?
"Running to me is an outlet. I am sure most people have said this but it’s true! It helps me let go of the stress life may bring. Once I’m done with my run I feel like a whole new person."
HOW DID RUN LISTA COME TO LIFE?
"LISTA came to life because we noticed that women are out there hustling, wanting to get better, faster and training to achieve their goals, whatever they may be. So with the guide of BlacklistLA, we thought why not have a women’s lead run (everyone welcomed) and have a night for us to come together and share and experience our common goals with each other. There aren’t many women lead run groups, or none that meet on a weekly basis, so we wanted to create a space for us, to lace up and just run!"
WHAT IS THE VISION BEHIND RUN LISTA? WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS FOR THE FUTURE?
"It's for us women to have a space to feel comfortable being ourselves and just running.
Running together, knowing the difficulties we face and having a space to share them. I want LISTA to empower women to feel as though they have a voice within our running community."
DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUR FELLOW RUNNERS?
"Let’s support each other and continue to grow together. Let’s continue to build together and kickass while we do it!"
You can join LISTA every @ 7:00 PM between Olympic & Manhattan Pl, Los Angeles.
@runlista #runLISTA
Photo credit: Delia Guarneros