Golden Gate Running Club is Re-Opening this April!
GGRC President
Hello Golden Gate Running Club,
On the one year mark since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a world pandemic, I am thrilled to announce that Golden Gate Running Club is preparing our safe re-opening for club members this April!
Our model for hosting in-person workouts will be quite scaled back from our typical pre-pandemic days, and all workouts will have a capacity of 15 people, with attendance limited to members that register for the 2021 club year.
Why the new requirements for in-person workouts?
We have chosen to take a conservative approach with 15 people to start and gradually ease into a higher capacity as case rates stay down, vaccination rates increase, and as we iron out any areas for improvement in our model. Additionally, during the pandemic, we decided to limit workout attendance to members only (temporarily pausing our traditional 3-time drop in policy for prospective members) so that we can better manage workout capacities and ensure we have appropriate information on file for those attending workouts. With the annual membership fee reduced to $25 for 2021, we do imagine the low fee will make it more accessible to become a club member!
How do I enroll as a 2021 GGRC Club member?
For folks that paid for the club in 2020 or 2021 already, information for how to “roll over” your 2020 club dues and membership will be sent out to you next week, as we will need to collect additional information from you to solidify your 2021 membership and enable you to attend in-person workouts. For any new or returning members that did not pay for the club in 2020, our website will be updated with the new process in the coming week for becoming a club member and paying $25 annual dues.
Why have we made the decision to re-open?
Per the City of San Francisco’s Coronavirus directives, GGRC qualifies as a low-contact outdoor adult recreational sport (defined by the State of California’s Department of Public Health), which is currently permitted for up to 25 people following all masking and social distancing guidelines per this ordinance. With vaccinations increasing, SF cases in decline, and group exercise being critical for mental health for some, we have determined that this spring will be an appropriate time for us to gradually ease into an in-person model for our runs.
Additionally, we have had the opportunity to learn from other clubs that have been able to successfully host safe and scaled back in-person workouts in the past months, and we are confident that if our club members and leaders work together to comply with all city and club regulations, we will be able to do the same. We have created our model based off of advice from other clubs that re-opened before us.
What will in-person workouts look like when the club re-opens in April?
Below is a preview of what you can expect for our in-person workouts and additional information will be coming soon!
In-person events will be limited to paid club members for the foreseeable future, until Covid restrictions are lifted
Attendance will initially be limited to 15 people (with 2 board members present to lead the workout)
When you complete the full member registration process, you will be added to a private channel in Slack, where you will be able to sign up to attend workouts. We have determined Slack will be the best place to host sign-ups, as we can limit visibility to members only within a private channel.
Instead of our typical Wednesday night track and Sunday Presidio runs, we will be hosting at least 2 runs a week led by our board members in a variety of different locations in the city outside of the typical 9-5 work hours. The workouts will be posted in appropriate spaces so that members are kept up to date when new opportunities are available.
Routes will be selected to accommodate social distancing, and we will take advantage of closed/slow streets when we can
Runs will continue to be “no-drop”, meaning we will wait at given check-points to ensure nobody is left behind.
We will expect all members attending in-person workouts to wear a face covering at all times and comply with the CDC’s and the SFPHD’s guidelines on Covid-19 self-screening and safety practices.
Runners will be asked to form small groups to avoid running in a large pack
Post-workout food/beverage hangouts will be left out of our initial in-person workout model until further notice, as criteria to gather with food and beverage is currently too restrictive for us to accommodate for this
More details will be sent out in April as to the format and how to sign up for in-person workouts!
Over the past year, we have learned the importance of being adaptable and creative. We are fully invested in making our in-person workout model as fruitful and user-friendly as possible, and we understand that we may be required to change our in-person model along the way to make any necessary improvements and shift with San Francisco’s re-opening plans.
We expect that you may have some questions, and please do not hesitate to send them my way!
I look forward to sending out next steps and seeing you this year!
Thank you,
Renee Hamilton
2021 GGRC President