BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A girls running club in Bakersfield is bringing together women from diverse backgrounds while building sisterhood and raising awareness on community issues.
Luz Almanza founded Girls Run Bakersfield after completing her first half marathon in January 2025. The experience inspired her to create a community space for women to get active together.
"I wanted Bakersfield to have something, some sort of a community for women to inspire, you know, just women out there to become active and to start exercise. Even I know it can be intimidating," Almanza said.
The club started small with about 15 members meeting to run in different parts of town. Social media helped expand their reach significantly.
"In July, actually, I posted a reel, and I got a lot of attention, a lot of interactions. And honestly, I believe that's what made it as big as it is right now," Almanza said.
Ruby Mendoza discovered the club while scrolling through Instagram. She values the diverse community the group has created.
"Connecting with other, like, people from different parts of whether it's Mexico or like some people are Colombian, some people are like, everyone's like in different backgrounds. I think it's just really more, I guess like like empowering for sure, because you get to see, you know, like your gente kind of out here and, like, wanting to, like, support each other and be better," Mendoza said.
Janet Guzman joined because she felt safe running alongside other women who share her passion for the sport.
"What really drew me to this group is that it was a group of girls, it felt safe, and you just get a lot of kudos when you're out with girls and you're running. So that's what really made me join this group," Guzman said.
The club incorporates themed runs that celebrate holidays and raise awareness about community issues. They organized a run against ICE when immigration raids were happening in Bakersfield.
"I believe it's important to also bring awareness to, you know, important issues," Almanza said.
Almanza has ambitious plans for the club's future, including training for local races and incorporating travel to different cities, states and countries. Next month, some members will participate in the Long Beach Half Marathon.
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