Running with the “dead homies” around Green-Wood

At 7:30 on a recent hot Saturday morning, young men and women in loose gym shorts, spandex pants, T-shirts, weighted vests and running shoes arrived one by one at Sole Cafe, 822 Fifth Ave., across from the black iron gates of Green-Wood Cemetery. They greeted one another enthusiastically, then spread out in a circle facing inward and stretched their calves, upper legs and quadriceps while continuing their friendly, familiar conversations.

“I come because it not only allows me to stay in shape and keeps me accountable for the running that I like to do, but it also is a good way to build a community,” Giovanni Valerio, a Sunset Park native, said as he led the group in stretching before its weekly run.

Cindy Nguyen, who was organizing the run that morning, explained, “What we're missing is connection, just something consistent, something very low stakes.” For many participants, the weekly club helps provide that connection.

Sole Run Club meets almost every Saturday at the cafe. During the summer, participants begin gathering at 7:30 a.m. and set out at 8. On this day, they ran a loop around Green-Wood Cemetery that came to about 3.5 miles and took approximately 45 minutes to complete.

“We run with the dead homies,” Nguyen joked about running alongside the large cemetery.

In the winter months, when the heat is less of a challenge, the group starts later in the morning.

“Every single week we show up for ourselves, but I think in large part for each other,” Nguyen said. She added that the “amazing” coffee is helpful motivation.

“It's a social club that happens to run,” Nguyen said.

“Before joining the club, I would run a lot on my own,” Luis Guevara said. Joining a group was a way to “switch it up and get to know more people.” Guevara, a sculptor with a studio in nearby Red Hook, said the group attracts many “creators,” and he enjoys learning what they do outside of running.

The Sole Run Club started in March 2025, when the cafe first opened, according to Daniel Mentado, one of Sole Cafe’s co-owners. Mentado explained that a friend named Kevin wanted to learn to run. Mentado recalled the exchange: “How do I get into a run club?” Kevin asked. “And I'm like, I just opened up this cafe. Let's start a run club here.”

Mentado had a mobile espresso business and had served run clubs throughout the city, so he had a good idea of how to start one. He told Kevin he would help organize the club and Kevin would do the running. Mentado, who does not run, would serve the coffee afterward.

Anywhere from a dozen to 50 people participate each week, according to Mentado. They range in age from children to adults in their 40s, Nguyen said. On this day, the runners were mostly in their 20s and 30s.

The run finishes at Sole Cafe, where fresh fruit, water and sometimes bagels are provided free of charge. “I mean, the least thing I can do is provide some fresh fruits, some water, get these people pumped, to get their day started,” Mentado said.

This past July, when smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed New York City, city health officials recommended that people stay inside. Anyone who went outside was advised to wear a mask that filters the air and avoid strenuous activity. That Saturday morning, members of the run club instead gathered inside Sole Cafe, drank coffee and hung out, according to Carmen Torres, a psychotherapist who attended the coffee session.

Asked why she comes out to the run club, Torres responded, “I think when you have a group of people who are cheering you on, it makes it much easier. So when you know that there are treats at the end, when you know that there's people who are in the end supporting you, then it's much easier.”

At the end of the run, Tania Martinez returned with the group, flushed and looking challenged.

“The sun! My body wanted to give up,” she said.

Asked why she continued, Martinez said, “Cause I'm like, I'm almost there. I'm there. I keep telling myself, I got this. I've done this so many times. Yeah, it was just a struggle…Yeah, I wanted to give up, but I was like, no, no, we're going, we're going, keep going.”