About Us

Hellgate Road Runners was founded by husband-and-wife duo Jared and Luann Mestre in 1995 as a club for “average runners” where everyone would be welcome and respected. At the time, many running teams limited membership only to fast runners, excluding middle and back-of-the-packers. It was clear that there were unsupported runners looking for a team to help them achieve their goals.

With a personal jar of quarters and donations from two local restaurant owners, Jared and Luann established Hellgate Road Runners as a non-profit, tax exempt organization and member of the Road Runners Club of America.

The club that started with just a few members has now supported hundreds of runners over the years, and even hosted a community-wide 5K run event in honor of the Hell Gate Bridge centennial in 2017. As of 2026, we have about 100 active club members, many of whom regularly come out for one or more of our weekly workouts.

We are a member of the Road Runners Club of America.