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Run Budz: Seattle Storm's Natisha Hiedeman launches run club
Seattle Storm guard Natisha Hiedeman launched a run club that brought nearly 400 people out to Green Lake Park this week. FOX 13 Seattle photojournalist Michael Driver gives us an inside look at the community-forward event.
SEATTLE - Nearly 400 runners laced up their shoes at Seattle's Green Lake Park on Tuesday for a new event that took the city by storm nearly overnight.
Seattle Storm Guard Natisha Hiedeman casually started a social run club a few weeks ago, announcing it on her live Twitch stream.
After taking the club—Run Budz—to social media, she was overwhelmed with support from hundreds of community members.
The first run had roughly 25 attendees. The next one had nearly 400.
Run Budz at Green Lake Park
People from not only Seattle, but from all over the Puget Sound region met up near the Seattle Public Theater at Green Lake Park, waiting in anticipation for the local star to arrive. Groups of strangers, coming together for the common goal of staying active.
A handful of the participants told FOX 13 Seattle they drove up from Tacoma. One pair, a mother and daughter, told us they treated the event as an opportunity to condition for upcoming high school volleyball tryouts.
Another pair seemed like they'd been close friends for a long time, but had only met twenty minutes prior to the event beginning.
"They talk often about the Seattle freeze, but you're not getting that here," one runner told FOX 13 Seattle photojournalist Michael Driver.
Hiedeman emphasized the acceptance of the running environment, encouraging everyone to attend, regardless of skill level.
How did Run Budz start?
Hiedeman had the idea in August, named as a fun nod to her viral streaming and media duo with Courtney Williams called ‘The StudBudz.' It quickly grew with social media attention, where she covered every step of the journey on her stream.
Attendees stretching before running with the Run Budz run club at Green Lake. (Annabelle Pepin, FOX 13 Seattle)
Hiedeman and her friends passed out blue Hoka hats and water bottles as they checked everyone in with wristbands and signed waivers from the Strava app.
The group warmed up with participant-led stretches, where community members laughed and learned more about each other.
The couple-hundred-person group ran 2.8 miles, the full loop of Green Lake. Afterward, participants had a cool down and snacks provided by Heideman and her friends. Some of the other Storm players came to support, along with Head Coach Sonia Raman.
To stay up-to-date on when and where the group runs are happening, there are updates on Heideman's Instagram group page, or on the Strava page.
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The Source: Information in this story came from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting.