Staff photo / Bob Coupland John Doan, a Warren native and now a resident of North Benton, left, speaks to participants at the weekly run at 6 p.m. Tuesday starting at Urban Tap on East Market Street. The Urban Tap Running Group started two years ago and runs each week year-round and also hosts special themed events and runs during the year.

WARREN — A local running group that focuses on health and wellness also helps highlight Warren city as its participants take walks and runs in different parts of the community.

The Urban Tap Running Group, which formed in April 2024, starts and ends each run at Urban Tap on East Market Street.

John Doan, the group organizer, originally from Warren and now North Benton, said each Tuesday walkers and runners follow a new course through a different part of the city.

“In the summer months I have a different route the group will run, and during the winter months, depending on the weather, keep a similar route. The running route is three to three-and-a-half miles, and the walking route, which is about the same as the running group, is about a mile to a mile and a half. We start and end at Urban Tap and then get together after for food and drinks,” Doan said.

He said the participants focus on community and friendships.

“We want people in the area to have a healthy outlook. It’s something for people to do once a week and be able to spend time together,” Doan said.

He said the group is very dedicated to running, including in the winter months, even when there is rain, snow or ice.

Doan said in the two years the group may have canceled only two or three times when there is a severe weather condition outside

“We mostly run on the sidewalks, but sometimes on the sides of the road in some locations,” Doan said.

Doan grew up in Warren, and the run allows him to rediscover different parts of the city. The runs have also included runs in cemeteries.

Matt MacGregor of Vienna said he and Doan were talking two years ago of something they could do to get people to the downtown area.

“He told me he had been in other run groups and that it would work here in Warren. We are all active people,” MacGregor said.

Doan said there are a few community events the group does, including a run at Halloween where people dress up in costumes and run through cemeteries and then host a Trunk or Treat event at Urban Tap.

MacGregor said the event also involved the local Veterans of Foreign Wars and gave the children a safe place to go on Halloween.

A recent event had runners who traveled around Courthouse Square. Doan said following Christmas and New Year’s, a bar crawl is held where people can dress up in pajamas. He said that course takes the runners to six or seven bars in the area as part of a 5K run.

“This gets people to Warren’s downtown, where they may not usually go. We want people to feel comfortable in Warren,” MacGregor said.

Doan said last year he did the “Follow the Warren Brick Road’ running along different brick roads in Warren.

Jamie Pate of Champion said she likes being able to get together with other runners for an evening outside and has made many friends who share similar interests, especially a love of running.

Shawn Yocum of Hermitage, Pa., said it is often nice outside, so why not run through different parts of Warren?

Doan said people can walk or run at their own pace and then stick around after for a fun time together at Urban Tap.

“We want people to run together and not be by themselves,” he said.

Tami Paniaqua of Champion said she heard about the group and enjoys running, so she decided to take part. She said she started running locally to help her prepare for larger run events.

“What is nice is everyone runs at their own pace and ability,” Paniaqua said.

The group gathers at 6 p.m. each Tuesday at Urban Tap. Doan said he posts each week’s run route online.