Front Runners San Diego is announcing the formation of a new running and walking group for members of the GLBT community who live in North County. The new chapter will be meeting twice a month for group runs/walks in Carlsbad.

“When we were at North County Pride we had the idea about starting a group up in North County,” said Adrienne Schlang, co-chair of Front Runners San Diego. “When we go to different water stations at different events and people see Front Runners they always ask us if there is a group in North County; so we have had inquiries.”

Currently the Front Runners meet four times a week in Balboa Park at the corner of 6th and Laurel. The new group will gather on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month in Magee Park in Carlsbad at 9:00 a.m.

“We’ve had our first two runs already and we had a half-a-dozen,” Schlang said. “We’re still in our early stages. We think that once the word gets out the group will really get up and going.”

The group is open to both runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. Magee Park is conveniently located at the corner of Beech Ave. and Carlsbad Blvd. (Coast Hwy.) in North Carlsbad. From there walkers can venture a half mile south to the Carlsbad seawall and runners can run along the coast or head inland around the scenic Buena Vista lagoon.

“The feedback has been quite positive because we have been told there really is no other outdoor group like this in North County,” Schlang said. “There are not many venues for people who live in North County to meet other gay people. Most of what we have heard is that they come down to Hillcrest.”

Once a core North County group has formed the plan is to develop a weekly schedule that will include more runs/walks, and there will be social events to include the Front Runners in San Diego.

For more information, contact Front Runners North County at (760) 439-5506 or visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com and click on this story for an e-mail link to contact the club. The Front Runners are part of an international organization of GLBT running and walking clubs. The San Diego chapter has been holding weekly meetings in Balboa Park for the last 22 years.