2026 Kenda Cup XC / JR XC / Marathon XC #2

Hilda founded Chismosas Run Club in July 2024 with a single premise: transform the ancient practice of "chisme" into community on foot. In Escondido's North County, chisme means sharing information, fostering close bonds, and taking care of each other, not idle gossip. About 25 women now gather Thursday mornings at 6:15am at the Kit Carson Park snake sculpture, running easy 5Ks through rolling terrain before anchoring the ritual with complimentary coffee and conversation that often outlasts the miles. Monthly trail adventures at Bandy Canyon range from 10K efforts to 10-mile explorations, accommodating all paces with electrolytes and that same post-run coffee circle. No pace requirements, no fees, no thresholds. Founder Hilda, a geriatric millennial who fell hard for trail running, runs these sessions with inclusive spirit. The crew's philosophy balances reverence for community wisdom with an invitation to simply show up.

The concrete snake at Kit Carson Park's playground doesn't look like much. But every Wednesday at 6 PM, it becomes sacred ground for Nobody Cares Run Club. The crew started in August 2020 when Chris Apodaca and Jonny Soto, stuck at home during lockdown, posted their daily runs as a friendly competition. The name came from brutal honesty: nobody really cares if you post your runs. Instead of letting that deflate them, they leaned in. The Instagram posts kept coming, but motivation shifted from external validation to internal drive. What began as a joke between two friends slowly attracted others tired of performative fitness culture. Now 50 members of all speeds and experience gather regularly at the snake, celebrating effort over outcome and authentic connection over splits. They run for themselves first, which somehow makes the community stronger.