Meet the Twin Cities Black Men Run Chapter
- charlie4243
- Jun 17
- 4 min read
By Sarah Barker
Like all group runs, there was a prelude of recounting of the latest tweak, catching up on what’s happened since the last meetup, hanging heels off the curb. Unlike most other group runs in the Twin Cities, this one was made up of Black men. It was the bi-monthly meetup of Black Men Run Twin Cities, the local chapter of a national organization devoted to building community, health and wellness.
Kenny Poole illustrated perfectly: “I went to a Mill City group run and out of about 200 people, there were three Black people. Nice as people are, you’re going to be isolated. We wanted to have a Black event. Everyone is welcome, but it’s going to be a Black event.”
Poole, a physician and one of TCM's Motion Experts, had played sports, including track, in school, but as a Phoenix resident in 2017, he started “running with intention.” After a friend did the Rock N Roll Marathon, Poole signed up for the half-marathon the next year, and was hooked. He’s now a Twin Cities resident, a veteran marathoner logging 40 to 50 miles/week, and is registered for this coming Medtronic TC 10 Mile.
Recalling the great experience, he’d had running with Black Men Run in Phoenix, he went to the organization’s ten-year anniversary in 2023. When the other attendees heard there was no Twin Cities group, they nudged Poole to start one.
“Personally and professionally, I value health and wellness,” Poole said. “Running is a great way to address the health disparities in Black men. Eating right and moving around is better than any pill.”
Poole ran into Dave Hamlar and the subject of Black Men Run came up. Out of that conversation, Black Men Run Twin Cities was born. In December, which seems a fitting launch for a Minnesota running group. Poole is the group’s captain (the term BMR uses for the group leader), Hamlar is vice captain. There are 20 to 30 regulars, age 20-something to 70-ish, with different goals, all paces.
“It’s really about the fellowship, not necessarily a training thing,” Poole said.
Dave Hamlar agreed. “These cats are all faster than me, but they take the time to run with me. They’re not leaving me in the dust,” the very fit 70-year-old said. “It’s about camaraderie, it's about health, not just about running.”
"These cats are all faster than me, but they take the time to run with me. They’re not leaving me in the dust."
A look at some group regulars demonstrated how and why they came to BMR.
For example, Hamlar did not come out of the gate loving distance running. “I ran track in college, never more than 100 yards unless the coach made me,” he said. “Later, I joined the military where you have to do the 1-½ mile run, which didn't exactly thrill me. When I retired from the military in 2018, I had time on my hands [Hamlar is still at his “day job,” surgery]. My wife says I did a Forrest Gump—I just started running. Solo, not with a group. I ran Grandma’s in 2018; I’ve done 11 marathons now. I just fell in love with it.”
Hamlar has run with BMR groups in Columbus, Ohio and Phoenix. “Everywhere you go, you can meet up with them and run.”
Things moved pretty fast for Jeff McVay, another BMR stalwart. One minute he was standing upright, the next he’d slipped on some ice and was facing rotator cuff surgery. Prior to that fall, he’d been a golfer. As part of his recovery, McVay started walking, with a little running thrown in. Inspired by his son entering the TC 10-Mile, McVay signed up for the 5K and had a great time. Another 5K at Thanksgiving also went well.
“And that was fine but I thought, I’m done.” he said. “Then Kenny talked to me.” Next thing he knew, he was signed up for his first half-marathon. Now he’s registered for the full Twin Cities Marathon. “For a man of a certain age, who had never raced in my life until 2023—I never thought I’d do it. But running with this group taught me what I need to do to complete that goal.”
After last year’s TC 10-Mile, McVay “stuck around for our folks to come through. Seeing people finish was a beautiful experience.”
The fellowship, the conversation between engineers, coaches, doctors, pastors—Marquis Johnson likens the BMR group runs to “going out eat by feet.” It should be mentioned that Johnson has never been out of shape—he played college football and for the last five years has been the strength and conditioning coach for the Vikings—but his running resume was limited.
“A buddy talked me into doing the Houston Half-Marathon. It was maybe the first time someone bigger than me beat me at athletics,” Johnson said.
"It’s the simple fact that it’s fun to run with folks who look like me."
At the race, he met some of the guys from the local BMR group. “I was one of the youngest guys at the time, but I noticed how fit they were. Once you’re done playing football, working out on your own is kind of boring, so I joined [BMR]. I caught the run bug.”
Now running is part of his life—he’s run three full marathons, many shorter distance races, and finds time when he’s on the road with the Vikings to fit in a jog.
But Johnson said running with this group feels special. “It’s the simple fact that it’s fun to run with folks who look like me. You don't see a lot of African Americans running, so that’s cool. But anyone can come to our run group. It’s not intimidating. It’s all ages. We support other run groups. It’s good to see people challenge themselves and meet their goals.”
This article originally appeared in the TCM's weekly e-newsletter, The Connection. Subscribe to the Connection here.
Sarah Barker is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Deadspin, Outside, Runner's World, and elsewhere. She's enjoyed the vibrant Minnesota running community for a lot of decades, and hopes to continue in said pursuit. Sarah's most recent story for TCM was about wheeler and Charter Club member Dave Eckstrom.
