Sacramento’s Sloppy Moose Running Club mixes fitness, beer. Here’s what it cost me to join
About the Writer
Brianna Taylor covers affordability on The Bee’s service journalism team.
On Thursday evenings, more than 100 sweaty athletes in matching orange shirts can be found throwing back cold beers at a West Sacramento brewery they’ve dubbed their “social hub.”
Formed in March 2013, Sloppy Moose Running Club is a weekly fitness and drinking community headquartered at Bike Dog Brewing Company on Industrial Boulevard.
There, club members refuel with rounds of discounted craft beer or wine after running roughly three miles each week.
I’ve experienced many firsts in The Sacramento Bee’s On a Budget series, where I try reader-suggested activities across the Sacramento region on a $25 budget, but exercising in the summer heat is in a category all its own.
The reader who encouraged me to head to the starting line is Caleb Broschat, a West Sacramento resident.
Caleb and his wife, Jocelyn Broschat, joined Sloppy Moose Running Club in June 2018 after seeing a news segment on television about running groups in the area. It took Caleb little convincing to sign up once he learned cheap beers were part of the deal.
“(Sloppy Moose is) part of our lives,” Caleb told me over the phone in June. “We are almost always there.”
How did West Sacramento running club get started?
Location: 2568 Industrial Blvd., Suite 110, West Sacramento
The founders of Sloppy Moose Running Club are Angie and Kyle Blaikie, both longtime Sacramento residents.
In March 2013, the duo convinced a small group of friends to join them for a Thursday evening run followed by beers at the then-newly-opened New Helvetia Brewing Company in Land Park.
Running groups have been all the rage over the past decade or so — not only because they offer the benefit of exercise. They also have a proven track record of helping participants meet new people.
That mixture of adrenaline, sweat and vulnerability is what inspired the Blaikies.
They named their running club after their now-14-year-old Boston terrier, Moose.
Take an inside look at Sloppy Moose Running Club
Roughly 11 years later, the couple is regularly joined by more than 100 people, including kids, every week for inclusive three-mile runs in West Sacramento. They typically meet at 6:30 p.m. at Bike Dog, and return to the brewery around a little after 7 p.m. for celebratory beers.
Don’t like to run? That’s not a problem; you can walk, bike, stroll or jog with your dog instead.
“We accept all speeds,” Kyle told me over the phone in June. “I always reiterate that it’s a fun run, not a race.”
“This is about fun. This is about health. This is about community,” Caleb told me.
“I’ve never been surrounded by a better group of people,” he added. “The running community in Sacramento is something special.”
A small sector of volunteers — known as Sloppy Moose captains — keep the club running smoothly. Jocelyn and Caleb joined the crew in 2023.
The Sloppy Moose captains handle a variety of responsibilities, from securing branded apparel and raising money for the club to facilitating events and keeping members safe during runs.
Sloppy Moose Running Club runs from March to November, alternating between at least six different routes that all start and end at Bike Dog.
What’s it like to run with Sloppy Moose Running Club?
Bike Dog was packed when I arrived on a warm and sunny Thursday evening in June.
I looped around the brewery’s crowded parking lot once before finding a space nearby on Boatman Avenue.
Sloppy Moose captain Sheila Shoemaker made several announcements with a megaphone, including a “Happy birthday” shout-out to club member Edy Flores, before counting down the massive sea of runners.
“Just follow the people in front of you,” a member told me.
“Don’t get lost,” another member added.
My palms began to sweat but it was difficult to gauge if my perspiration stemmed from the heat or my nerves. Either way, there was something electrifying about it all.
As Sacramento jazz ensemble Martini Crush began playing upbeat music, I faded into a pool of orange shirts heading up Industrial Boulevard.
I quickly found myself in the middle of the pack as the runners approached residential streets.
People waved from their lawns while shouting words of encouragement such as “You got this” and “You’re doing great.”
I was ready to trade my running shoes for Crocs at the 2.8-mile mark. Then I heard the distant sound of “Wannabe” by pop group Spice Girls playing from a speaker.
When I turned the corner, a young child dressed in a baseball cap gave me a congratulatory high-five.
A final right on Stone Boulevard led me back to the brewery, sweaty and thirsty.
Weekly runs lead to a love story
After dabbing my dewy skin and chugging a couple of glasses of water, I bumped into engaged couple Sara Wolf and Greg Shirey.
The longtime Sacramento residents met during a weekly Sloppy Moose run in August 2021.
After spending the past couple of years with Sara collecting race medals, attending weddings and traveling to tropical destinations, Greg popped the question in December 2023.
“In a time where everyone is meeting online, I never expected to meet my person in real life,” Sara told me while sipping a cold beer, adding that finding Greg at Sloppy Moose is one of the many reasons the club is so special to her.
“Every time we run together, it’s special,” Greg told me, sporting 3-inch seam shorts decorated with peaches.
The couple will travel to Hawaii in August to tie the knot while a Sloppy Moose member watches their 1-year-old golden retriever, Leia.
Is Sloppy Moose Running Club affordable?
Sloppy Moose is a free community running club with perks ranging from apparel to cheap beer and wine.
After completing five runs, new members receive a free T-shirt sponsored by outdoors brand REI. A total of 50 runs earns you a black shirt and 100 runs earns you an orange hoodie.
Bike Dog and Baker Family Wines, which share a taproom and tasting room on Industrial Boulevard, offer runners discounted drinks on Thursday evenings during Sloppy Moose running season in exchange for tokens.
Although I stuck with water, Kyle told me Bike Dog sells four tokens for a total of $20 and Baker Family Wines sells three tokens for the same price.
One token equals one drink, and you must be 21 or older to consume alcohol.
Thank you for the suggestion, Caleb, and congratulations to Sara and Greg!
