Yuen: Brewery fun runs offer companionship, exercise and 'best earned beer you'll get'

Not a runner, you say?

What if that 5K you think you can't hack was followed by a pint of beer, an invitation to socialize and increased motivation to hop off the couch?

Since organizing their first beer-themed fun run in Minnesota 13 years ago, Morgan Jappe and Nate Herrington have heard countless stories from people who say their events have changed their lives. The Brewery Running Series, which features 5K and 10K runs that start and end at breweries, has expanded to 26 states and funneled more than a half a million dollars to community nonprofits.

Some of the joggers discovered love through the casual runs — at least five couples have gotten married. Others found lifelong friends. And people like Brennan Greene dropped 50 pounds after decades of having never worked out.

Greene remembers pushing himself to complete his first 5K in 2019. It was held at the brewery and supper club he owns, Birch's on the Lake, in the western suburb of Long Lake.

"That run kicked my ass," he thought. "I'm never doing that again."

But the Brewery Running Series kept returning to his establishment, and run he did. Less than two years ago, Greene started to run three days a week and watched his body transform. He's since whittled his mile pace to a mere seven minutes.

What he appreciates most about the brewery runs — organizers don't call them races — is that they appeal to the average person. There's no time clock or time chips. You're more likely to see dogs, joggers, walkers and strollers than elite runners (though they often show up, too).

"Everyone is drenched in sweat. But they're all smiling," Greene said. "No one's paying attention to their times. It's much more relaxed, and you get beer afterward. It's the best earned beer you'll get."

Social running organizations that feature alcoholic consumption are not particularly new. The Hash House Harriers, also known as "A Drinking Club With a Running Problem," dates to 1938, when a group of British immigrants in Kuala Lumpur started weekly runs that ended with beer and cigarettes. (The Minneapolis chapter was formed in 1990.) You can also find site-specific running clubs that regularly gather at Utepils, Lupulin, Luce Line and other breweries around the state.

When Herrington and Jappe started the Brewery Running Series in 2012, the craft-beer scene in Minnesota had just started to take off. The so-called Surly Bill had recently been signed into law, allowing breweries to sell alcohol on-site. The first running event was held at Fulton Brewery in Minneapolis, only the second taproom to open in the state. Hundreds of people showed up, and the event sold out.

"We filled the taproom. Filled the taproom," recalled Jappe, who is the organization's executive director. "Then we saw how many taprooms were opening."

The series went from one run in 2012 to six runs the following year. It continued to mushroom, luring runners and beer enthusiasts to booming local breweries.

But hardship has found its way to many craft brewers in recent years. Beer and other alcohol sales have slumped. More younger Americans are deciding to go sober. Others are drinking less after indulging too much during the pandemic. Breweries with ardent followers, including Dangerous Man in northeast Minneapolis, have been shuttered.

The brewery runs are continuing to steer foot traffic into local taprooms, many of which now offer kombucha, THC drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages. The series has also expanded beyond breweries to include coffee shops and wineries as the host sites.

An entry fee of $35 will get runners a token that can be redeemed for a craft beverage at the finish line, a piece of swag (like a pint glass or running socks) and access to day-of entertainment, such as live music and giveaways.

The sense of community and the expectation to hang out after the run is what differentiates the events from a typical 5K, Jappe said. "It's not just hanging out in a park with your banana," she said. "We're trying to sink in that beer runs are the new bar scene."

When Kevin Pleasant came across a flyer about the running series in 2016 at Indeed Brewing, his wife insisted that he attend, knowing his love for both craft beer and socializing through sports. A lifelong athlete, he played baseball in college and continued to partake in softball leagues five nights a week as he got older.

He's now part of the series' Brew Crew, which means he's automatically signed up for every run (there are more than 40 events this year in Minnesota, from Bent Paddle Brewing Co. in Duluth to Chapel Brewing in Dundas, Minn.). He and his crewmates have coordinated team outfits for some of the runs. When the pandemic struck, they kept jogging, while masked, and were a source of social attachment for one another.

Pleasant said the gatherings are even more meaningful because a portion of the proceeds supports local nonprofits. Living Well Disability Services, a group that Pleasant has been active with (his son has autism and cerebral palsy), has been one of the running series' designated charities.

Now with a few knee surgeries under his belt, the 59-year-old Pleasant typically walks, rather than runs. But while his joints have deteriorated, his friendships have endured.

"I've been to weddings, I've been to baby showers, and in the last few years I've even traveled with other couples who are part of the Brew Crew," he said. "I couldn't see in a crystal ball that I'd have all these new friends, and it would become a part of my life."

If you go

The Brewery Running Series is in full swing, with events scheduled in Minnesota for almost every weekend through the fall. Visit breweryrunningseries.com/minnesota for more info.