Episode 25: Boogie Down Bronx Runners on building a vibrant running community from scratch and cheering at mile 20 of the New York City Marathon

When Lenny Grullon and Jean Paul (JP) Fontana, former basketball players from the Bronx, founded the Boogie Down Bronx Runners in 2017, they were their group’s only members. It took a few tries, but soon a few people showed up, including Chris Guzman, who wanted to get healthy and model an active lifestyle for his son. Today, the three of them lead well over 100 members, including 50 marathoners, throughout the Bronx, going beyond Van Cortlandt Park to Pelham Bay Park and down to the South Bronx. Their runs are inclusive by design, so that beginners feel welcome alongside experienced racers, and embrace the community, showing that running is happening in the Bronx, and not just with fast white guys. With a budding partnership with Nike and a raucous cheering section at mile 20 of the New York City Marathon, which returns this Sunday for its 50th anniversary after a pandemic hiatus, the Boogie Down Bronx runners show how investing in your community takes time, effort, dedication, and love — and pays off big time. Join Lenny, Chris, and JP for an inside look at how it happened and where it’s going, on the first episode of season two of Let’s Get Uncomfortable. (Note: JP had to leave the live recording but chimed back in for the hot mic segment.)