Q &A with Newport Beach Run Club

By: Dr. Jennifer Channual

When did the run club first start?
Newport Run Club first started as a group text between 5 friends running after work in December of 2022.

Who started it?
Jake Luna, who is a licensed CPA by day and active member of the Newport Beach Community started the club. As it has grown, there is now a leadership team behind him: Michael Raether, Cam Mallory, Vicente Fernandez, and Molly McCance. A team who at one point were all strangers and each individually attended the club with no idea what to expect and while not having a pre-existing group of friends already attending to lean on while there.

Why was it started?
Newport Run Club started as an idea that came up during a work happy hour, where Jake and his colleague Talia were discussing getting a group together to run. Jake himself was a competitive soccer player growing up and did not necessarily enjoy running for fun, but wanted to build a better relationship with running while getting others in the neighborhood involved as well. It was the perfect storm of doing something healthy and making friends along the way. Since then, it has become a huge community ranging from ultra-marathon runners and triathletes, to those who just enjoy a post-work jog or walk.

Tell us more about the run club - any details you feel the community should know.
Newport Run Club is unique because while it involves running at its core, it also embodies a lifestyle we feel that many young people in the area crave– a lifestyle that is characterized by health, wellness, and meeting people in person the “old-fashioned way”: by shaking someone’s hand and saying hello. Many members of Newport Run Club are out of school and in their 20s and early 30s, and in a time where we seem so connected by social media, it seems to be getting harder and harder to meet people and make genuine friends. The most amazing part of the run club to us, and the biggest accomplishment so far, is seeing all the relationships and friendships this club has fostered. We have also loved partnering with local businesses and doing our part to positively impact the community in ways that we can. Newport Run Club is full of amazing, friendly, driven and compassionate people and we are so excited for what’s in store for the future.