Athletics Ontario Running Podcast · John Shep

EP 207: Colin Strickland, Corners Run Crew - More Than a Run: Community Over Competition

·40 min·2 clips

"Running's in our top five, but it might not be our top three."

1. Athletics Ontario Running Podcast talks with Colin Strickland about Corners Run Crew in St. Catharines and its community-first running model. 2. John Shep hosts, and Colin Strickland is the guest; Colin founded Corners Run Crew, while John frames it through Ontario running and inclusiveness. 3. The episode asks what running groups are for when the goal is "community over competition" instead of turnout or brand attention. 4. Colin says he started running in 2000 and watched run crew culture online in Copenhagen, LA, Tokyo, and London, England. 5. He explains that Corners Run Crew began in fall 2019 after he realized the same model could work in St. Catharines without a brick-and-mortar setup. 6. Colin says he contacted Quentin Jacobs, Charlie Dark of Run Dem Crew, and Akeem Tafari of Koreatown Run Club for advice before launching. 7. He says Quentin told him to "start small," pick one night and one time, and build momentum before adding more sessions. 8. Colin says the founders discussed the problem with judging success by numbers, early brand collaborations, or being the "hots club." 9. He says the crew's core question was what the group should be, not how many people could show up on a Friday or Saturday. 10. Colin describes the crew's COVID response with journals left in mailboxes, Monday night Instagram Lives, and a four-corners challenge. 11. He says the journals included gratitude notes, route maps, and reflections on shared runs with other crew members. 12. Colin says the crew kept going through restrictions by focusing on connection even when they could not physically meet. 13. He says their founding mantra is "moderate pace, positive space," with an out-and-back route that lets runners turn around whenever they want. 14. Colin says the crew has supported organizations including De dwa da dehs nye Aboriginal Health Centre, Quest Community Health Centre, Rainbow Niagara, YWCA, Christian French Child Advocacy Centre, Pride Niagara, and Niagara Sexual Assault Centre. 15. He says the crew prefers to go "deeper than broader" by building relationships and hosting partner organizations on Instagram Live. 16. Colin says they shifted from a three-year speaker series to a book club called the "no corners reading circle" after noticing stagnation. 17. The conversation stays reflective and practical, with John Shep asking direct follow-ups and Colin answering in a conversational, detailed style. 18. The episode mixes crew history, pandemic adaptation, and running philosophy rather than using a formal lecture format. 19. People interested in inclusive run clubs, St. Catharines, and community building will likely appreciate this. 20. People wanting race splits, training plans, or speedwork tips may skip this.

As heard by us

A run crew story about inclusion, routine, and the appeal of a welcome pace.

Colin Strickland's conversation on the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast follows how Corners Run Crew in St. Catharines has grown around a simple idea: make space for more runners.

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Why you'd press play

You want a running conversation where community matters as much as pace.

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