It’s Saturday morning in charming Ballard County, Kentucky. The sun is just rising over the quiet backroads that connect the town, farmland, and neighborhoods. Among the crisp morning air, warm sun, and birds chirping, you’ll find a group of friendly companions meeting as the sun rises. They’re catching up, praying, and running the Ballard backroads. Yes, that’s right, running at sunrise… on Saturday!
Every Saturday since May 2020, this group of ladies (and some men!) gather together and run over 10 miles. It started as a small group of about 12 people who were inspired by another running group called “Run for God.” As the idea blossomed, one of the group members had a Ballard County road map and simply asked, “I wonder how long it would take us to run all the backroads in Ballad County?” And it took off from there!
Since that first run, they endearingly refer to themselves as the Backroad Runners, and they’ve run almost every backroad in the county. Their shortest run was 6 miles, and their longest run was 20 miles. Word of mouth and social media grew the group into over 20 runners. The group is made up of mostly ladies and a few men from several different professions. “God bless the men that show up! We are all moms or dog moms, and we really use it as an outlet and an opportunity to connect with like-minded people. We talk about anything and everything while we run,” Backroad Runner, Laurie Denton says.
Another member of the group, Mary Miller, shares, “Some of these wonderful people I didn’t really know. Some I had never met until we started running together, and I now consider them close friends. It’s great!”
Trish Pickett explains more about the group dynamic. “Even though we are very diverse in age and season of life, we are close. When things are tough, these friends are my prayer warriors. Spending that many miles and facing challenges together brings a closeness that is hard to describe. This group has definitely helped us survive the challenges 2020 has presented. I feel blessed to be a part of this group.”
Many group members train for marathons, 5Ks, and other charity races. Other members simply run for the community, exercise, and social outlet. A few ladies set out in the beginning to run 2020 kilometers to celebrate the year 2020, and they reached that goal in November. One member who especially appreciates the scenery has photographed the multiple old barns they run by, creating a collection of rustic country barn photos.
The Ballard County community members have grown to know and love the dedicated group of Backroad Runners. In the summer, they would start at 5 AM, and community members would offer up their driveways as a place to park their vehicles. “People would hear about us on Facebook and know the route we were running that weekend and would put out water stations early in the morning! The Ballard community has really taken us under its wing,” Laurie praised.
In the fall, one community member applauded the group by rising early, making pumpkin muffins, and handing them out as the group trotted by her backroad home.
Laurie shared her favorite part about this group. “It’s really like a sisterhood. The support is awesome, and we’ve really become family. Also, I really enjoy getting to see the true beauty of the country roads; when you’re driving, you really can’t slow down to appreciate what’s in front of you. I’ve driven down some of these roads my entire life and never noticed the pure beauty… Ballard County is pretty!”
You may be wondering if they’ve ever missed a day due to weather. Well, the answer is no! They’ve only been sprinkled on with light rain one time but otherwise have been able to beat the rain every single Saturday. They plan to continue their runs year-round, even as the seasons change.
When asked why she runs, Trish Pickett quickly answered, “That is easy. It is my time with God, even in a group. His goodness and magnificence is so evident in every aspect of running, from the human ability to the wonders and majesty of nature that we run by. To be able to run for God’s glory is an honor and privilege. It is a stress reliever, good for physical and mental health.”
Korrie Purcell feels the same blessings as the other members. “We have developed some of the greatest friendships while running 10+ miles every weekend. The time we spend together makes getting up at 5 AM to run on a Saturday morning worth it.”
In addition to their Saturday runs, the group participates whenever they can in community events such as BBQ on the River, Iron Mom, Turkey Trot, and other 5Ks and charity races. This year, Iron Mom was cancelled, so they decided to do their own and they called it I-Run Mom.
Another Backroad Runners member, Mary Miller, reflects, “I love that we start every Saturday morning run with a prayer. Running is a time to pray, a time to enjoy our surroundings and thank God for our many blessings. Running is my mental and physical therapy, as well as fun and fellowship with my running group. Solo or as a group, running keeps me moving. One foot in front of the other. Just keep moving.”
