SF’s That Girl Run Club builds connection through shared miles

On Wednesday evenings, the grassy knoll at Baker and Fell streets at the tip of San Francisco’s Panhandle fills with runners. Onlookers wondering “Who is this group?” can find the answer on the backs of T-shirts: It’s That Girl Run Club. 

The club, for women and inclusive of nonbinary runners, offers a laid-back space in which participants make connections and build community. 

“I didn’t want to just create another run club,” says founder Mari Sullivan. “I wanted to create something genuine and authentic for women to come and just be themselves while running.” 

Sullivan, who moved from New Zealand to San Francisco with her husband nearly three years ago, was eager to make friends — specifically, girlfriends. After joining a run club, she found herself wanting something different.  

“There was this new trend in running clubs where it was like the new dating app,” she explains. “Running, to me, is a safe space. I want to just be able to go on a run and exist and be myself — to let go and let my guard down.” 

Deciding to create such a space and to incorporate her background in design, Sullivan — who is pursuing a master’s degree in sports psychology and works part-time at the Noe Valley specialty store Running Wylder — announced the That Girl Run Club in a post on Instagram in June 2024. A few weeks later, a small group met for the inaugural run. 

“When I started it, it was 10 girls at most for the first year,” she says. “So I had time and space to really create the mission, the values, and the branding and to figure out what I wanted out of this club and what I wanted for other people to get out of it.” 

Sullivan, originally from Montana, incorporates her hometown into That Girl branding. Runs are named Giddy Up and Trail Blazin’ and social media posts begin with “Howdy.” 

Routes, mostly on trails, steer members off pavement and onto gravel and dirt. Introductory Giddy Up runs begin on the Panhandle’s pedestrian path and head onto Golden Gate Park’s extensive trail system. The Trail Blazin’ run on alternate Thursday mornings goes to Twin Peaks and Mount Sutro. It includes considerable elevation gain, traversing narrow paths and climbing stairs.  

“It’s a challenging run, and it can be scary on trails in the dark — and I think girls naturally have their guard up in the city. I want them to feel empowered that they can do it,” says Sullivan.

That sense of empowerment is part of what draws Sullivan to the trails: “Once I’m on a trail, I just feel so myself. I feel like I can exist without judgment. And having community surrounding that and friends who are [also] into running — that’s really special,” she says.

That Girl members agree. Megan Vetter, who works in sales and lives in Mission Dolores, calls her initial That Girl run “super inviting.” She says, “You really feel like you’re part of a group. Everybody’s really friendly and open to running at a conversational pace, and it’s a great way to meet new people.” 

Vetter came across the club, which is free to join, on the fitness app Strava. After joining a few months ago and going on her first run (with any group), she’s become a regular at Giddy Up runs and recently completed the 10K at the Oakland Marathon. She says, “I think [That Girl] incentivizes people to sign up for races if they hadn’t already. They’re always asking, ‘Who’s doing the upcoming local race?’ There’s always somebody that raises their hand.” 

The club also led her to the Hot Girl Relay, an event cohosted by Running Wylder in which teams of five women raced around the city on Oct. 18 and March 14.

Hannah Larson, who moved from the South Bay to the Inner Sunset last fall, joined That Girl looking to get back into running and make new friends: “I’m not someone who just shows up to social events on my own, so that was kind of a first for me, but the girls were super welcoming, and it was just a really positive experience,” she says. She found a recent Trail Blazin’ ascent unforgettable: “It was definitely something I never would have done on my own, but it was a blast and worth it for the views.”  

Larson, who completed a 10K in San Francisco in February, is considering doing a half marathon in Yosemite in May. She says the club has inspired her to run three times a week on average.  

Sullivan is pleased that five That Girl members have stepped up to help lead runs and plan social events as the group expands through T-shirt visibility, word-of-mouth and community events including the relays.  

With Giddy Up runs averaging around 20 people, some drawing closer to 30, Sullivan maintains that growth won’t come at the expense of the club’s purpose. She says, “It’s about finding your community, finding your friends through it, and finding that psychological safety to be yourself.”

To join That Girl Run Club on Strava, go here.