On a recent Tuesday evening, a group of 10 runners gathered at the corner of 150th street and Grand Concourse. They change into their running shoes and warmed up as they waited for the rest of the group to show up before taking off at an easy pace, weaving between pedestrians. In all, they ran 3.52 miles making it back to the starting point, after making two stops along the way.

The run is a weekly event organized by Bronx Sole, a running group whose aim is to improve the health of residents in the Bronx. For the 8th year in a row, the Bronx has been named the unhealthiest county in New York, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings. Out of the 62 communities in the state included in the rankings, the Bronx has fared worse in the categories of health outcomes, quality of life, clinical care, and health factors, among other. As well as, being last in overall rank.

As a response to these results, there has been an increased focus placed on improving the Bronx’s ranking and its citizens’ health. It is in this environment that Bronx Sole has grown. In starting the group, 37-year-old Justin Mashia’s goal was to create “a group for Bronxites that aren’t active that aren’t runners so that they can come out and be active in an environment where it’s a bunch of people who are just like them and we’re all out just to have fun and stay active.”

Bronx Sole Takes to The Streets

The group is relatively young, “we started September 13 last year” says Mashia, but during this short time it has grown quite a lot, “when we started there were only 3 of us, now we’ve had as many as 15 people come.”

They meet every Tuesday at 6:15 pm, rain or shine, and run from 3 to 5 miles, each time taking a different route somewhere in the Bronx. The group runs in unison through the streets of the South Bronx pass the crowds on their way home. They are led by Mashia who has created a casual and comfortable environment that is welcoming to both its regular runners and newcomers. “We have about 22 members in all but the most that have ever shown up at once is 15. It depends on the weather, we don’t run fast and no one gets left behind” says Mashia.

It’s members, who are largely Bronx residents, come from diverse backgrounds with some being avid runners like Angel Martinez who says that he has “been running since 2004, I did the New York marathon twice.” And others for whom running is less of an affinity, like Regina Roberts, who proudly said, “I’m not a runner and I really don’t like running.”

But what really sets the group apart is its aim to expose members to Bronx history. During each of the runs, the group makes two stops at different historic sites in the Bronx where runners learn about these little known historical locations and their significance. Past stops have included Westchester and Brook Avenue, where the US Capitol Dome was built, and the Jordan L. Mott Iron Works building in Mott Haven, an area which was named after the inventor of the coal burning stove who was also the company’s founder.

While Bronx Sole is a unique group it is part of a growing movement to improve Bronxites’ health. The movement has been led by in part by government agencies, mainly by Ruben Diaz Jr. the Bronx Borough president and his office, as well as, by activists’ groups some which have started in direct response to the Bronx’s health problems.

One of the earlier and currently ongoing action is the #Not62 social media campaign launched by the Bronx Borough President’s Office along with other community health organizations in 2015 after the Bronx was ranked last for the 6th year. The campaign’s aim is to encourage Bronx citizens to live healthier, more active lives by engaging them on social media and providing them with information on health resources available in the borough. It’s goal being to improve the Bronx’s health by the year 2020. Residents are encouraged to use the hashtag to share healthy living tips, workouts, and favorite healthy meals in order to motivate others to do the same.

Besides working on information campaigns the Borough President’s Office has partnered with other organizations from different sectors in order to not only treat the Bronx’s health issues but also find out and prevent what is causing them. Through these partnerships, the Borough President’s Office has been able to host health fairs and events to inform the public about what is available to them.

One of the partner groups is Bronx Health REACH, a coalition made up of different health organizations that have been working to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health since 1999. Recently the group has become involved with the Department of Health’s Healthy Bodega Initiative. REACH is using their grant funds in order to create a promotional campaign to inform the public about the healthy options that are available to them in bodegas. The group has also created a healthy bodega training program which has already worked with 30 Bronx bodegas with 20 more slated to join this year.

While health in the Bronx still has a lot to improve, it is through government programs, like the #Not62 campaign, and community-based and individually-led groups like Bronx Sole that change has started to happen. With most of the current actions being led by the government or by large organizations, Bronx Sole remains an easy and accessible way for Bronx residents to get out and be active. As Mashia puts it, they are, “like a family that’s about having fun, while being active with a little Bronx history.”