It Starts With Running: Why Community Matters More Than the Miles

By: Lisa Warner, Charm City Run Timonium Marathon Coach

There are a lot of reasons people start running.

Maybe you want to run your first 5K. Maybe you’re chasing a PR. Maybe you’re training for your first marathon, your 20th marathon, a HYROX race, a triathlon—or maybe you just want to feel a little stronger and a little more like yourself.

But somewhere along the way, something unexpected happens.

It stops being just about running.

That has certainly been true for me.

I’m a runner, a coach, and a member of the Charm City Run community. And the more time I spend running with this community, the more I realize that what makes it special isn’t simply the miles we put in.

It’s who we put them in with.

It Starts With Running

Charm City Run has created something pretty remarkable in the greater Baltimore running community.

You can walk into one of the stores looking for a pair of shoes and walk out with something much more valuable: a community.

There are local races throughout the year. Weekly free runs from different store locations. Pop-up events where you can test new shoes, gear, hydration and fueling products. And, of course, the training groups.

And those training groups are so much more than a training plan.

They are people showing up.

Week after week.

For early mornings. Long runs. Speed workouts. Easy miles. Bad weather. Great weather. Race-day nerves. Celebrations. Setbacks. And all the little moments in between.

There are runners training for their first 5K alongside runners preparing for marathons, ultras, triathlons and everything in between.

Different goals.

Different paces.

Different stories.

Same community.

That’s the magic.

One of my favorite things about running is that you never really know where a run is going to take you.

You might show up thinking you’re there to get your miles in—and end up meeting someone who becomes a training partner.

You might come to a training group because you’re nervous about running your first marathon—and discover that there are people willing to walk through the entire journey with you.

You might be struggling through a workout and hear someone beside you say, “Come on. We’ve got this.”

You might finish a long run and realize that the miles weren’t actually the hardest part.

Showing up was.

And someone else showing up made it easier.

That is what community does.

It gives us a reason to keep going when motivation isn’t enough.

And It Goes Way Beyond the Run

One of the things I love about the Charm City Run community is how connected it is to the larger Baltimore fitness and wellness community.

Training groups often connect with local physical therapy clinics, where runners can access free services and learn more about taking care of their bodies.

There are opportunities to experience incredible local gyms and fitness spaces.

There are coaches who bring expertise, encouragement and accountability.

There are events where you can learn about fueling, recovery, mobility and the latest gear.

It creates an environment where the goal isn’t simply to run more miles.

It’s to become a more informed, supported and confident athlete.

And perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that we don’t have to do it alone.

That Is Why I’m Running 777

This November, I’m taking the idea of community with me around the world.

I’ll be running The Great World Race: 7 marathons, on 7 continents, in 7 days, November 15–21, 2026.

But I’m not doing it simply because I love running.

I’m running to raise suicide awareness and support Widdy’s Work, a nonprofit founded by the parents of Reese Widman after Reese died by suicide.

Widdy’s Work was created with the belief that we need to stomp out the stigma surrounding mental health and make it easier for people to ask for help.

Reese left behind words that have become a powerful part of this mission:

“Do what I couldn’t do; get help.”

Those words are a reminder that sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply show up for one another.

And isn’t that what a great running community does?

It shows up.

Miles That Matter: The 777 Challenge

While I’m running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, I don’t want to be doing it alone.

So I created Miles That Matter: The 777 Challenge.

From November 15–21, I’m inviting 777 people to move with me.

You can run.

You can walk.

You can hike.

You can ride.

You can lift.

You can do yoga.

You can take your dog for a walk.

You can simply get outside and move.

You do not have to be a marathoner.

You don’t even have to be a runner.

You just have to show up.

And there is a FREE registration option, because I want this to be accessible to everyone.

The goal isn’t to see who can run the farthest.

The goal is to create 777 moments of movement, connection and conversation around suicide awareness.

And if you want to support the mission beyond the free registration, there are additional registration options that include commemorative tokens and shirts, with proceeds supporting the cause.

So I’m Asking My Charm City Run Community to Come With Me

I have spent countless miles surrounded by runners who remind me that running is so much more than putting one foot in front of the other.

It is friendship.

It is accountability.

It is encouragement.

It is showing up when you don’t feel like it.

It is celebrating someone else’s finish line even when you’re still chasing your own.

It is finding people who understand why you’re getting up before sunrise to run 18 miles on a Saturday morning.

It is discovering that sometimes the person running beside you knows exactly what you need to hear.

That is community.

And that is what I want to take around the world with me.

So, Charm City Run community, I’m asking you:

Will you be one of my 777?

Register for Miles That Matter: The 777 Challenge.

Invite your training partners.

Tell your running group.

Share it with your family.

Bring your kids.

Bring your friends.

Bring someone who doesn’t consider themselves a runner.

And if you can support the mission beyond the free registration, choose one of the additional registration options and help us make an even bigger impact.

Because this isn’t really about running seven marathons.

It’s about what running has taught me:

We are stronger together.

We don’t have to face the hard things alone.

And sometimes, the most important mile is the one we choose to take with someone else.

This November, I’m taking those miles around the world.

Come with me.

7 marathons.
7 continents.
7 days.
777 people.
One community.
One message: ask for help, show up for each other, and make every mile matter.

Register for Miles That Matter: The 777 Challenge and become one of the 777.

https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Baltimore/MilesThatMatterTheMovement