The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Sisters Country is well-established as a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, so after moving here last year it came as a bit of surprise to long-time runner Amy Margolis that no organized running club existed in the area.

Margolis, a physician’s assistant, and her husband, David Wilson, decided to take matters into their own hands —and feet – to change that.

The couple, who hail from Seattle but lived a somewhat nomadic life for the three years prior to settling in Sisters in June, began offering low-key “all-comers” runs during the week in late February.

Last Thursday, 10 runners and two canines met at PNW Sweat at 5:30 p.m. for a jaunt down Pine Street to the Sisters Trails Alliance trail.

Still sore from a double Boston Marathon the previous Monday, Margolis walked with Sarah Cribbin and the pair spent a few minutes speaking with The Nugget.

“We didn’t know anybody and realized there was not a running group and decided to just create one ourselves,” said Margolis. “We thought it would be a great way to meet like-minded people, which is already working out.”

In addition to the Thursday 5:30 p.m. runs, Margolis and Wilson have offered Saturday morning runs “at either 8 or 8:30” from a variety of starting points.

“We have both Facebook and Instagram pages under the name ‘Sisters Country Running Club’ where people can learn about times and places and to interact with one another,” she explained. “That’s the best way for people to know what is coming up.

“The whole idea is not for myself or my husband to be in charge of everything,” she said. “We want people to use the Facebook page to post invitations to one another to meet up whenever it works for them, but we will continue to have some consistent meet-up times as well. The whole idea is to create community.”

Margolis emphasized that everyone is welcome to the running get-togethers, even as walkers.

“We had a first-time runner here on Thursday and we truly want anyone who shows up to feel completely welcome,” she said.

Margolis took part in what is known as the Boston Double. She started before dawn from the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street in Boston and ran 26.2 miles to the starting line in Hopkinton. She then had about 90 minutes to wait for the start of the actual marathon and got to see the different waves venture off the start line one by one until it was her turn.

Cribbin, who moved to Sisters recently from Portland, met Margolis at a local fitness class, and took part in the latest run.

“Being new I was hoping to connect with fellow runners — it is what I have been craving, so, like Amy said, it’s a great way to build community,” she said.

Margolis couldn’t be happier about the decision to make Sisters her home. In addition to initiating the running club, she has begun teaching at SPRD and is teaching part-time at Sweat PNW.

“When we moved here we really wanted to be in a place where we could enjoy the outdoors and feel like a part of the community, so we are super excited we found Sisters,” she said.