Eight years ago, runner and proud Bronx, New York, native Miguel Hernandez learned that The Bronx was the most unhealthy county in the state. This knowledge altered the course of his life: The already enthusiastic runner founded the Mile Style Run Club with the goal of showing others, as he says, “the wealth of health.” In the years since, he, Mile Style, and the club’s hundreds of members have used the sport of running to help fortify their community.
[Editor’s Note: Click here to watch the full film on YouTube.]
In this film, the third episode in the PACE SETTERS series by iRunFar in partnership with HOKA, we learn that Hernandez took up running after joining a massive group run in Central Park. He went on a friend’s invite, feeling tepid about its potential, but loved it. It wasn’t long until running was a part of his daily routine. He describes, “I started becoming one of these people waking up at 5:30 a.m. for a 10-mile run.” Hernandez’s first marathon was the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon, and he says his medal from it remains his most important.
The Mile Style Run Club has helped to bring running to The Bronx. All images are screenshots from the film.
As his commitment to running increased, Hernandez noticed that he was among only a couple of runners he’d see in The Bronx, whereas he’d be surrounded by runners whenever he ran elsewhere in New York City. It was when he asked why this might be that he learned that The Bronx was ranked as the most unhealthy county in New York state. “I gotta’ do something for this place,” he remembers his thought process at that time, “This is my home. I can’t let this place struggle.”
The Bronx, New York.
The run club started small, with a couple of folks running a couple of miles. But the concept stuck, and Mile Style now gets dozens of runners at their regular group runs and has helped hundreds of people train for goal races. In the film, the club celebrates its eighth birthday with a huge group run through The Bronx’s busy streets.
Mile Style Run Club members on the run.
The film closes as Hernandez reflects on the positive effects of running and Mile Style. “I see the people this running thing affects. I see the impact it has on their lives. I gotta’ keep going. And so we keep going.”
[Editor’s Note: This article is sponsored by HOKA. Thank you to HOKA for its sponsorship of iRunFar, which helps to make iRunFar happen and free for all to enjoy. Learn more about our sponsored articles.]
Celebrating the eighth birthday of The Bronx’s Mile Style Run Club.
