Daily Inspiration: Meet David Fox

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Fox.

Hi David, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
In 2014 I was attending a weekly run group hosted by a local outdoor retail shop. When the summer came to an end the run club was also going to be shut down. I offered to keep the runs going through the winter. When spring came around the shop decided they didn’t want to manage the club anymore and Golden Mountain Runners was officially born. We have been an independently organized run club since November 2014.

We have grown to over 2,000 members in our Facebook group, 1,300 followers on instagram, and 1,000 members on our website. On average we have 30-40 runners each Tuesday at our weekly runs that leave from Mountain Toad Brewing at 6:15 most weeks (our run calendar can be found on our member’s page at www.goldenmountainrunners.com).

We strive to welcome runners of all abilities by offering 3-4 pace groups at each week. When I first attended the outdoor shop[‘s run club I was a novice trail runner. Through the community we have built at GMR I was encouraged to continually challenge myself and have since worked my way up to successfully entering and completing five 100-mile trail races; one each of the last five years.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
GMR has steadily grown in size over the last eight years. when we started we were lucky to have 10-15 people show up each week. We are fortunate to have now built a strong community where it is commonplace to have 40 or more people show up at our Tuesday night runs. With growth, came challenges. Jefferson County Open Space has a group size limit of 15.

Along with building a community inside GMR, it is important to us that we treat the outside community and land with equal respect. We had to shift our weekly run from starting at rotating trail heads to starting each run at Mountain Toad Brewing and running four separate routes from there. The runs are not as adventurous as they were in the past, but they are more inclusive because they allow for different pace groups and are less impactful to other trail users by limiting our group sizes.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
I remember unpleasant camping trips, aborted hikes, and a general preference for team and ball sports over outdoor adventures. Now running through the mountains and spending time in the great environment Colorado has to offer is my main hobby and passion.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.goldenmountainrunners.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenmountainrunners
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/goldenmountainrunners/