How often does the MRC meet? Do you have a home ‘base’ to run from?
“The way we run MRC on a day-to-day basis is actually quite simple, no fuss. We organize a weekly run every Wednesday specifically at 8pm and run 10 to 12k. It’s the perfect mid-week stress release. We mostly run in the evenings because the streets are quieter, the air is cooler. You just join and let yourself be guided by one of our pacers. But at the beginning of every season we make it a point to regroup and decide on which official race we’d like to run in. These official races are generally 10k runs, half or full marathons in Europe. We also participate in a few races that we call “conceptual races” in Paris or even in the Alps. These races are either limited in participants or built around a concept. It’s important people know we are not certified running coaches, nor do we pretend to be, so we don’t give out training and conditioning programs to our runners. And we let our members guide the rest of the club as well with extra sessions.
“Home base for MRC is La Montgolfière. It’s a niche sports club where we always gather pre or post run and even on the days we don’t run. We organize workshops and creative talks there with guests from all over the world that share our values and vision of the culture of running. These guests are journalists, shoe designers and we even have an urban landscaper coming in the fall to discuss how mobility is shifting in cities.”
How many members are there now? How has the club evolved?
“We’ve organised major sessions in the past with a lot of people running together; but we don’t really do that any longer, other clubs have aced that format and we totally support them. Today, we’re still six friends handling MRC’s activity with a solid core of about 40 runners. We get to meet and run on a regular basis with a group of 10 to 15 people which for us is the golden number for a run in the streets of Paris.”
What is the MRC philosophy?
“Running with friends - without stressing over performance - has become a lifestyle and that is exactly what we promote and live by in MRC. All of our members share that philosophy actually, one that encompasses fun, simplicity, motion and NO time constraints. You don’t need a tracking app, a watch nor a pair of headphones blasting music to run. Running doesn’t have to be a competition with others or yourself. And we thrive on the fact that we get to gather a community on a regular basis where we support one another, where we share energy.”