HELENA — The Helena Vigilante Runners kicked off their season this week. The club serves as an umbrella group for Helena’s community of runners, and is open to all abilities and ages. HVR’s purpose is to promote health, fitness, and community through group training runs, races, and social events in the Helena area.
They had a great turn out this week, with 50 people showing up to their Tuesday track run, and 20 showing up to their Thursday trail run.
The club is in their 19th season of Tuesday track workouts, and in their 5th season of trail runs.
HVR board member, Abigail Mclane, has been with the club since 2016, and says the group is “excited for a little normality, a little bit of running together,” after their COVID seasons.
HVR doesn’t just cater to adults. For those, seven-18 years of age, they offer a novice club. The club’s first race, the ‘Heat Meet’, that they put on is coming up in May for their upper-elementary and middle schoolers.
The novice HVR season starts after the typical school track season at the end of May. They also have a novice cross country club that picks up in the fall.
“If you like to run at all, and it’s all kinds of ages and abilities, so you don’t have to be the fastest runner that’s ever ran. You can even just want to start running. It’s a great group of people, we really work to make everyone feel like they’re a part of it no matter what. I can say I’m not the fastest runner but I have a great time every week no matter what,” Mclane says.
Her advice to beginning runners is to “Start slow. Have fun, and don't worry about it.”
For those wanting to get involved with HVR, go to their website at Vigilanterunning.org.
