Miles of Connection

When Malcolm Doepke ’16 invited a few friends to join him for a Saturday morning jog last summer, he did not imagine it would grow into one of Cincinnati’s top fitness communities: Cincy Run Club, a group that now attracts more than 100 runners downtown each weekend.

Before the club began, Malcolm explains that the idea came from a gap he noticed in the city’s running community. He had been searching for a group to join and realized there weren’t many options that felt welcoming. Most were older, more competitive, or less social. “I was looking for a run club in the city and couldn’t find one that fit what I was looking for. So, I created it.”

A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Malcolm studied psychology and marketing and says that combination helped him build connections. But his sense of leadership and service began long before college. “Country Day instilled in me the importance of giving back to the community. Even back then, we were learning that not everyone has the same privileges, and helping others matters. It stuck with me, even if I didn’t realize it at the time.”

Those lessons continue to guide him. “Being a leader means having tough conversations, putting on a happy face, and smiling through whatever’s going on because people look to you. At Run Club, the energy people feel starts with me and the leadership team.”

He credits fellow Country Day alumnus Nick Sam ’16 as his “right-hand man” and says the group’s warm, inclusive culture stems from their shared approach: bringing positive energy, building genuine community, and creating a social environment where people feel supported rather than pressured to compete.

In the early days, Malcolm says the biggest challenge was reaching new people. “It started with eight of my closest friends. I basically begged them to come run. At first it was just, ‘Let’s run and get coffee.’ And then my marketing brain got going and focused on how to make the brand and experience more appealing to those beyond my circle of friends.”

Today, the group continues to grow each week. “Throughout the first year of us running the social channels, I paid close attention to what performed well and focused on building more of that content to reach more people. It’s what’s helped us continue to create engaging content that reaches new audiences, bringing us to over 5,000 followers to date in just a year and a half.”

He adds, “We’re a social running club that is open to everyone, even those who don’t identify as runners. We have people who range in age from 18 through their mid-60s. We have all levels of runners, from seven-minute miles to fourteen-minute miles. It’s really about the human aspect; running is just an excuse.”

The club meets every Saturday at 9 a.m. at Urbana Café downtown, and it’s completely free with no sign-ups, forms, or formal invitations required. “People can just show up and run.”

When asked what advice he would give to current Country Day students, Malcolm didn’t hesitate. “If you’re looking for something and you don’t see it, create it. Don’t give up. Take action. Most things take time — there’s no ‘get rich quick’ in life, but the reward is in building something meaningful.”