Skid Row Running Club
The Skid Row Running Club is a running club based in the Skid Row neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Since its founding, the club has had more than five hundred participants.{{cite news |last1=Torgan |first1=Allie |title=Judge’s running club helps Skid Row’s homeless rebuild their lives |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/04/us/cnnheroes-judge-craig-mitchell-skid-row-running-club/index.html |access-date=3 May 2025 |publisher=CNN |date=April 12, 2019}}
History
In 2012, the Skid Row Running Club was founded by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig Mitchell at the Midnight Mission, as an effort to improve the livelihood of those in the Skid Row area.{{Cite web|url=https://abc7.com/5618656/|title=Los Angeles judge who started Skid Row running club the focus of new documentary|date=October 15, 2019|website=ABC7 Los Angeles|language=en|access-date=November 14, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Glass |first1=Genevieve |title=Skid Row Running Club helps people in recovery find their stride |url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/southern-california/human-interest/2025/04/24/skid-row-running-club-move-more-month |access-date=3 May 2025 |publisher=Spectrum News |date=April 24, 2025}} Mitchell was invited down to the Midnight Mission by Roderick Brown, a man Mitchell had previously sentenced to prison.{{cite news |last1=Lacke |first1=Susan |title=For Skid Row Runners, Triathlon Offers a Path to Sobriety |url=https://www.triathlete.com/culture/people/for-skid-row-runners-triathlon-offers-a-path-to-sobriety/ |access-date=14 November 2021 |publisher=triathlete |date=November 6, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=Anna |title=From Skid Row To Rome: The Story Of An Unusual Running Club |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/03/20/394035236/from-skid-row-to-rome-the-story-of-an-unusual-running-club |access-date=3 May 2025 |publisher=NPR |date=March 20, 2015}} After Brown was released from prison, he was paroled and began living at the Midnight Mission. Brown invited Mitchell to visit the mission because he wanted to introduce the judge to the people who were helping him get his life back together. The president of Midnight Mission asked Mitchell if he was interested in working with them to help people who are homeless to gain self-sufficiency.{{cite news |last1=Larkin |first1=Michael |title=Running Judge Solves L.A.'s Homeless Crisis One Step At A Time |url=https://www.investors.com/news/management/leaders-and-success/running-judge-solving-la-homeless-crisis-one-step-time/ |access-date=3 May 2025 |publisher=Investor's Business Daily |date=May 10, 2018}} Mitchell knew that running had played an important role in his own life and decided to start a running club. When the club started, there were only four consistent runners and they were known as the Midnight Runners. They later expanded to include participants from across the Skid Row area, and renamed themselves the Skid Row Running Club. As of 2019, more than 100 people run with the club, with each run averaging fifty participants. Members of the group include people who are homeless, police officers, people convicted of felonies, and lawyers.{{cite news |last1=Dobb |first1=Hayden |title=Miles of Impact: About Skid Row Running Club and newest Board member |url=https://www.ladowntownnews.com/features/miles-of-impact-about-skid-row-running-club-and-newest-board-member/article_1bd1313e-c6d7-11ef-957d-c3f86c27745a.html |access-date=3 May 2025 |publisher=Downtown News |date=December 30, 2024}}
The running club also helps members who are struggling with addiction in their efforts to remain sober. Many of the runners in the club serve as sobriety sponsors to runners who are new in their recovery. Runners who remain sober and in the running program are able to participate in an international marathon. The group has participated in many 5ks, marathons, and other races, including the L.A. Triathlon.
In popular culture
In 2019, a documentary called "Skid Row Marathon" was made about the group. The film played in theaters across the United States on October 14, 2019.{{cite news |last1=Machado |first1=Yolanda |title=‘Skid Row Marathon’ Film Review: Documentary Puts Homeless Runners in Soft Focus |url=https://www.thewrap.com/skid-row-marathon-film-review-documentary/ |access-date=3 May 2025 |publisher=The Wrap |date=October 14, 2019}}
External links
[http://www.skidrowrunningclub.com/ Official Website]