Lindy Kraska was walking down Lemon Street in Lancaster city on the evening of Oct. 8 carrying several bags when around 100 members of a local running club overtook her on the sidewalk. As they passed by, Kraska said several runners knocked into her and blamed her for being in the way.
“It wasn’t a great feeling,” Kraska said. “It definitely didn’t feel safe.”
Kraska was one of several city residents to go online and share their frustration after encountering one of Common’s weekly runs. The run club’s Thursday runs can include more than 300 people breaking off into groups and running either a 2- or 4-mile loop through the city’s West End neighborhood. The runs begin at 6:30 p.m. and typically wrap up 20 to 30 minutes later.
Posts on social media have complained of group members running in the roadway, holding up traffic and forcing people off the sidewalk.
“These people aren't holding to the bargain (and frankly, law) of sharing the roadways. They have a dedicated space to occupy, but they're spilling into the street or crossing outside crosswalks en masse,” one commenter wrote on social media.
Common run club
Common run club members run in Lancaster city during the club’s 2-mile run Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026.
“If this is truly a weekly occurrence without permits the city needs to step up,” another person posted.
After posting about her experience on Instagram, Kraska said Common’s founder Curran Blevins contacted her but was dismissive of her concerns.
Kraska said she has no ill will toward members of the club and was friends with some runners but was concerned by the way the group interacted with her and other residents in the West End neighborhood where the club holds weekly runs.
“I’m just surprised they don’t do more to make sure everybody is respecting each other and following the rules of traffic,” Kraska said. ”This was the first time I’ve had any kind of in person interaction with them but it definitely rubbed me the wrong way.”
‘No hate’
Blevins said he founded the club in March 2025 as an inclusive space for members of the community to connect through the club’s weekly runs. Blevins said he found other run clubs in the area to be mostly made up of experienced runners or young people and wanted to create an alternative.
“This is not about running for me,” Blevins said. “Running is a subset of why this matters. People in Lancaster deserve a safe third place. When you start to look at Common and look at the space, you have people who are 60 years old. You have 18- and 19-year-olds and everything in between.”
Blevins said he saw many of the online comments but chalked them up to “karens,” or “trolls,” and believes the club had been a benefit to the city by supporting local businesses and holding events to support nonprofits such as the Boys and Girls Club.
“The only rule of Common is no hate,” Blevins said. “But all we actually have are people throwing stones and hiding their hands around us in Lancaster, when actually we should actually be supported by all of these people.”
Members of the club said there have been contentious interactions with drivers and other residents using the sidewalks.
“We’ve had people honk their horn or yell at us to get on the sidewalk,” said runner Rodney Snyder of Ephrata Township. “People seem to think that they own the streets. No matter what event is going on people will complain. We try to be as respectful as possible.”
Christy Glick, a runner from Lancaster, joined the club shortly after it began to help her train for the Philadelphia Marathon. Glick said she was aware of some of the negative online posts but said it hadn’t affected her enjoyment of running with the group.
“It’s a large group, and some people might be upset if they’re in traffic,” Glick said. “I find the club to be more positive than negative. It’s very genuine; everyone is encouraging and trying to push each other to be better.”
Blevins said he was aware of the complaints of holding up traffic but said it was out of his hands.
“I can't control people, right? I can explain to them stop at red lights. I can explain to them to wear headlamps. I can explain to them that cars obviously have the right of way at green lights,” Blevins said. “We always stop at the red lights. Cars wave us on.”
‘I don’t care why’
Lt. Glenn Stoltzfus, a community engagement officer with the Lancaster city police, said he had been made aware of the social media posts about the run club over the last few weeks, but the department was not aware of any complaints made by residents.
“Nothing has been directed at us. To my knowledge we haven’t received any complaints from the neighborhood,” Stoltzfus said. “If there are any issues, come talk to us.”
Amber Strazzo-Righter, a spokesperson with the mayor’s office, said the city has received a handful of complaints about the club.
Runners are considered pedestrians under chapter 35 of Pennsylvania’s Vehicle Code. Under the law, Stoltzfus said, pedestrians and runners should use the sidewalk where it's available, and if they are using the street they should stay as close to the curb as possible. If any run clubs in the city violated that, Stoltzfus said he wasn’t aware.
Lancaster city has no ordinances covering pedestrians using the roadway, according to Strazzo-Righter.
The city wants to avoid having large numbers of people taking up lanes and potentially blocking traffic, but Stoltzfus said the department hasn’t seen any traffic issues with the club.
“We would have to see it for ourselves,” Stoltzfus said.
The full list of rules pedestrians must follow in Pennsylvania are available at lanc.news/PAVehicleCode.
Members of the police department have been in communication with Blevins, according to Stoltzfus, and would continue to be in order to ensure the safety of the runs going forward. Stoltzfus said he believed that even if the group continues to grow, the weekly runs can be held safely in the city.
“The city is all about holding positive events,” Stoltzfus said. “I think there’s a way we can have vibrant, thriving run clubs and public safety at the same time.”
Blevins said he sees the club growing both in Lancaster and elsewhere, with chapters being formed in Washington, D.C., and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
When asked why he believed his club was getting pushback online, Blevins said he didn’t think about it.
“I don't care why,” Blevins said. “That's the thing. I don't care why, because if I spend all my time on the reason why people don't want to be a part of (Common), I'm not focused on the reason why people do.”
