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Caity Healy<\/strong> | Editor-in-Chief<\/span><\/p>\n For those looking to get active with low commitment, to get to know their community or simply wanting something to do two nights a week, the Independence Community Engagement Manager, Ram\u00f3n Mart\u00ednez, has the answer. He has spearheaded a group called the IndyMo Runners, a group meant for people in both Independence and Monmouth to come together, socialize and run or walk together.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a social group,\u201d Mart\u00ednez said. \u201cIt\u2019s not about \u2018who can finish the route first?\u2019 It\u2019s something where people can just come out, step out the door and do something fun with the community. It\u2019s a great way to meet folks that you don\u2019t see on a day-to-day basis.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Originally, the group was titled the Indy Brunch Runs. Mart\u00ednez, who is also the HEAL coordinator, which stands for Healthy Eating Active Living, established the Indy Brunch Runs when he realized the community was lacking a running club. However, an idea was proposed by someone in the group to also include Monmouth in their activities. So, as a way to bridge the two communities together through running and walking, he decided to change the name and add an additional running spot in. Thus, IndyMo Runners was born.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI definitely want to emphasize this \u2026 all levels are welcome to our group,\u201d Mart\u00ednez said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to have prior running experience. You can start of walking, or you can do a run-walk combination. And something else I want to emphasize is that no one gets left behind in our group.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n For those that are interested in checking it out, Mart\u00ednez wanted to make it clear that the group is both very inviting and supportive. Ultimately, the goal is to make those there feel comfortable and welcome.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf folks have never came out to our group, we want to make sure that they\u2019re very well-versed in the route. And \u2026 we want to be able to help them build up to their goals,\u201d he said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to have all the fancy running gear \u2026 just come out with some comfy shoes.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n IndyMo Runners meets twice a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m. by Main Street Park in Monmouth, and Saturdays at 10 a.m. by Riverview Park in Independence. To stay updated on what they\u2019re doing, visit meetup.com\/IndyMoRunners<\/a>, or contact IndyMoRunners@gmail.com<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n