The club celebrates one year of fostering a community by the women of Regina, for the women of Regina
Life has a way of slowing down during the winter season, with many choosing to brace the cold by staying indoors. For one Regina club, however, the frigid nights end up being a gathering filled with chatter and where personal goals are met. Meeting every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Neil Balkwill Civic Arts Centre, She Runs At Night is a club that allows women to run in the evening safely and in each other’s company. Second year education student and club organizer Libby Michalski and regular runners of She Runs At Night came together to share their experience with the Carillon.
An idea was born
One evening while running home from her grandparents’ house, Michalski started to notice how dark it was getting. This became a sign for her to stop her night run. “I had to run under a couple bridges and there were no lights, it was pitch black and pretty scary,” she explained. After coming across a night run club’s page on social media, she found her inspiration to start and organize one of her own. To Michalskii, the club’s goal and purpose was to provide a safe space for women to run in the evenings.
She Runs at Night recently celebrated its first anniversary in November of 2025. Michalskii encourages runners of all levels to join the club, and assures that beginner runners will not be left behind. “[It’s] a run with the group kind of thing, [but] we have people that fall behind, I usually will fall to the back so that no one’s really running alone,” stated Michalski.
“The club brings a sense of friendship, happiness, and safety to the [Regina] community.” – Ariel Jenson
A place for all women
The run club has a diverse group of women as participants. Janelle Garcia is a new mom who has been running with the club for almost a year. After learning about the club from a friend, she saw it as an opportunity to bring along her son while getting some exercise. “I used to always go to the gym and do all these classes, but ever since I had a baby, I didn’t want to leave him alone,” shared Garcia. She expressed that she experiences mom guilt at the thought of leaving her son with a babysitter in order to go to the gym. Because the club runs outdoors, it allows Garcia to bring him and have her peace of mind.
Michalski recalled the club in its early days, when a mom came to run with a stroller for the first time. “I didn’t really think about the route for strollers and she was having a really hard time pushing [it],” she said. This winter, Michalski prepared a different route to accommodate Garcia and future participants who might want to run with their babies and toddlers. Garcia jests that she is always at the tail end of the runners when she’s with her son, but assures that the group stops frequently enough for them to catch up and have a conversation.
Seasoned runner Ariel Jenson found the club through social media, but was hesitant in joining the winter run. “I hadn’t run outside in winter a lot, so I did wait until spring [to join],” she said. While the club started in the winter time, they continue to operate all-season long. Jenson’s first time running with the club happened on a rainy night and getting to meet new people kept her coming back.
Jenson started running in 2023 and has been taking it more seriously in the last year. “I’m running four times a week, but all those runs are by myself, except for Tuesdays,” she mentioned. Jenson is involved in other running communities, but found that She Runs At Night is unique because it provides younger women in their 20s and 30s a welcoming space. “The club brings a sense of friendship, happiness, and safety to the [Regina] community. This area [we run in] is out of my way, but I want to show up every week and be with these girls!’’
As a soon-to-be graduate of kinesiology education, Hannah Klassen is always on the lookout for fun and active events. Aside from getting to spend time with others, the cost-effectiveness of the club is a major pro for Klassen in joining the club. “You have to have running shoes, that’s it! You don’t have to pay any money to come,” she said. “You just get there, show up, and you run.’’
Before joining, Klassen was yet to be a fan of running with other people. Having to keep up with the pace of others gave her a sense of pressure. “What I like about the club is there’s no pressure, it’s just [about] running consistently each week,” she explained. Klassen also added that mental block is something to battle with when it comes to running in the winter. While summer allows one to willingly go outside to experience the nice weather and fresh air, being outside during the winter is a forced commitment. Ultimately, Klassen enjoys that the club allows connection with people from different walks of life who are motivated to be active.
You have to have running shoes, that’s it! You don’t have to pay any money to come.” – Hannah Klassen
Run with people and run at night!
The success of She Runs At Night is a shock for Michalski, who had others question her decision to start the club. “Being a year in and seeing all the people that come, it’s nice to have that self-doubt squashed,” she said. Michalski fondly looks back at all the nights runners have joined despite the bad weather. “Tonight, I was running at the back [of the group and] it kind of clicked [that] I have people come out every single week.”
The advice she gives to those looking to join their runs is to dress according to the weather but also to tailor it to how their body responds to running. While the outdoors might feel quite empty at this time of year, members of She Runs At Night are out in the city completing a 5K run every Tuesday evening.
