Latino runners take to Sacramento parks to celebrate body diversity and community building

On a recent Monday night in Sacramento, a group dressed in sneakers and reflective gear huddled into a circle at a corner of McKinley Park. There were more than 60 people, all warming up to merengue music for a now-weekly ritual.

Some stretched their legs to run. Others loosened up their hips for a brisk walk. And about a dozen spent the time ensuring their dogs didn’t stray too far.

Dalia Ramirez-Robles stood in the middle of the group, setting the tone for that day’s gathering of Corremos Sacramento, translated to We Run Sacramento — a Latino-based walking and running club.

“There’s no expectations that you need to meet,” Ramirez, a club co-founder, told the group. “Meet your own body. Meet your own needs.”

Then, it was time to go and off they went, each person going at their own pace and completing as many laps as they wanted around the one-mile route.

Redefining the narrative around running was the basis for Ramirez-Robles founding the group back in July 2022. She had recently moved to Sacramento after spending years in a small Central Valley town where she didn’t see herself reflected in the running community.

In Sacramento, Ramirez-Robles discovered established groups, like Latinos Outdoors, Latinos Run and Black Men Run, that celebrated cultural diversity. She and co-founder Javier Macias-Salazar sought to further expand on the ideals of those groups with a running community that would empower a wide range of wellness.

“I wanted to create a space that was not intimidating,” Ramirez-Robles said. “I wanted there to be runners and walkers of every pace. I don’t want people to feel embarrassed for their pace.”

Macias-Salazar and Ramirez-Robles said for far too long, fitness spaces — gyms, wellness institutions and clubs — have felt exclusionary and focused merely on aesthetics. But Corremos Sacramento, a group of diverse runners, joggers and walkers at all levels of fitness, is prioritizing community building, mental well-being and celebrating all bodies.

“We recognized there was a need to create a safe space where people of all backgrounds and abilities could come together,” Macias-Salazar said.

‘You feel very supported and safe’

Club gatherings showcase a variety of fitness levels and familiarity with the group.

Last month, sisters Andrea and Oliva Almarez attended their first club meet-up after months of following the group on Instagram. The social media posts always seemed to highlight a supportive community, Andrea Almarez said.

Neither was disappointed after their first run with the group, which featured some club members cheering the sisters as they completed their first lap around the park.

“You feel very supported and safe, even though you’re running in the dark,” said Andrea Almarez.

The club also draws those seeking to improve their fitness levels and looking to form new connections.

Mariana Reyes joined Corremos Sacramento soon after the club was founded. She hoped to find Latinos with her same interest and make running a more routine hobby. The group, she said, has pushed her to join marathons.

“When you start to see people like you doing the races and doing the runs, it inspires you to be a part of that, too,” Reyes said.

Group marathons are one of the highlights for members. Reyes and others pointed to last month’s California International Marathon held in Sacramento. Roughly 25 members participated, including seven first-time marathon runners, and the group had its own cheer zone near the finish line.

“To finally see somebody fulfill what they’ve been training for is always special,” Reyes said.

‘This is not diet culture’

For many, including Ramirez-Robles, the club hopes to dismantle generational stigmas surrounding physical appearance and weight that sometimes are experienced in Latino communities.

Ramirez-Robles discussed her own struggles with body image. Eventually, she said, she came to terms with “showing up as I am.”

“I didn’t want to be embarrassed by the curves, the lonjas (love handles),” Ramirez-Robles said. “This is just my body.”

But Ramirez-Robles is still trying to overcome some of these stigmas among her family. She recalled conversations with her mother and aunts that revolve around physical appearance and not accepting their bodies.

“That’s the opposite of what I want,” Ramirez-Robles said. “I want people to come as they are.”

Still, her family members were on her mind back when the group was founded. She thought about a group that would feel welcoming to people, who have nearly no experience in running. A club, she said, would make people feel accepted regardless of their fitness level.

“This is not diet culture,” Ramirez-Robles said. “This is not a grind culture. This is not hustle culture. This is just getting the body flowing.”

Corremos Sacramento meets throughout the week, including 6:30 p.m. Mondays at McKinley Park and 8 a.m. Saturdays at Bueno Cafe on T Street. In April, the club will take its Monday meetups to Land Park.