Today we’d like to introduce you to Frantz Charlestin
Hi Frantz, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Reliving my childhood dreams of running. As the love for running slowly came back to me it also became a trend throughout the entire country. I thought to myself, Why would I struggle alone when I could struggle running with a group. So I went looking for a running club to which I joined one. Great running club however it just didn’t fit my needs and I did not quite feel comfortable. So I continued my search for a running club in the Orlando area. Sadly there weren’t many.
I called a few close friends of mind and asked them to run with me. What started off as just a “Nike
Run Club” App challenge turned into something we only talked about. Shortly through our challenge I brought up the idea of starting a run club, where people of all levels can run and be motivated. To provide a safe space for those that aren’t experts or seasonal runners. The ideas began to flow and on January 27, 2024 we had our very first run and brunch. It was only about 9 of us; however we had a blast and it felt great.
Week after week we continued to share our love for running with others around the Orlando Community. Next thing you know our group of 9 turned into 15, 15 turned into 30, 30 turned into 60, and 60 turned into over 400 runners. We strive to keep running fun and keep our community tight, we all became family. Great relationships were formed throughout the community and within our run club.
We have seen incredible growth with our runners, those who have never ran a mile before are now half marathon runners. We travel together for races, leisure, and business. This running community/family has raised money for charity, supported so many great organizations, and continue to do great things. We plan to do even greater things in the future.
People ask how did we get so big. All we can tell them is just being good people and helping others at something we are semi good at. Then to never forget why you started something and continue showing up for your people and those to come.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are always bumpy roads literally. Finding a route for our weekly meet up runs was a bit of a hassle. Our leaders spent hours running different routes around the city of Orlando to see what makes sense. We wanted it to be convenient for our runners. Parking was a major factor as well.
We are happy that we partnered with Great Southern Box Foodhall that gave us a space where our runners can enjoy a nice route around the packing district and returned to cold water and great food.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am most proud of the growth we form as a community. The love we all share with one another and the bonds that are made.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I can’t really think of anything surprising. I am an open book ! I manage to sleep 4 hours a day and still run every race with the ability to PR lol.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Gritrunningorlando.com
- Instagram: GritRunningOrlando
Image Credits
_kdogrpahy
