What started as a small group of neighbors running together grew into a community of over 120 walkers, joggers, runners, parents pushing strollers, families, and people simply trying to live healthier lives.

But somehow, running together in Coral Springs has become a problem.

First, we were told we could no longer hold our weekly runs on city streets without special event permits, potential road closures, and possibly police details.

As if neighbors going for a Wednesday evening run were the same as organizing an official 5K race.

So we asked a simple question:

Can we use the parks instead?

Coral Springs has beautiful public spaces like Mullins Park, Cypress Park, North Community Park, Betti Stradling Park, Riverside Park, and the Sportsplex — parks with designated walkways and paved paths.

The answer? NO.

We were told that even an organized gathering of just 7–8 people could be considered an event requiring a special event permit.

And this isn’t the first time we’ve encountered resistance.

Months ago, when our runners gathered at Cypress Park at 5:45 AM, simply to get their miles in and leave before ANY other sporting activities began, we were threatened with having the police called on us.

Think about that.

People waking up before sunrise to exercise, encourage one another, and improve their health were being treated like a problem.

No race bibs. No finish lines. No road closures. No spectators.

Just people running together.

❤️ AND THIS COMMUNITY HAS DONE MORE THAN JUST RUN.

Local businesses embraced what we were building.

Restaurants opened their doors and partnered with us. Local fitness studios, wellness providers, and health-focused businesses showed up to encourage healthier lifestyles.

Our local running store, Runner’s Depot, came out time and time again to support our runners, share their expertise, and invest in the community.

These partnerships weren’t just about sponsorships or giveaways.

They brought new customers through local business doors, increased sales, introduced residents to businesses they may never have discovered otherwise, and created relationships that extended far beyond Wednesday nights.

We weren’t just building healthier runners.

We were building friendships, trust, family, and a stronger local economy.

Every runner was a potential new customer. Every gathering was an opportunity for neighbors to discover and support the businesses in their own backyard.

And all of this happened organically, because people wanted to come together.

We respect public safety. We understand that rules exist for a reason. And we’ve repeatedly tried to find a reasonable solution.

But at what point do we recognize the difference between a major sporting event and neighbors getting together for exercise?

💔 We didn’t stop running. We had to take our community somewhere else.

Coral Sprints Run Club was born in Coral Springs. Friendships were built here. Lives were changed here. Local businesses benefited from the connections made here.

And now those weekly gatherings, and the opportunities they created, have moved outside the city.

We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re asking for a reasonable way to use public spaces for the very activities they were designed to support.

We want to work with the city, not against it.

You don’t have to be a runner to care about this.

This is about healthier families, stronger local businesses, meaningful friendships, and a community that deserves the opportunity to come together.

We start together. We finish together.

❤️ Coral Sprints Run Club

#LetUsRun #CoralSprings #CoralSprintsRunClub #RunForYou