Pop-up runs: The next big thing in Charlotte social fitness

Brian Mister could tell you the date for the city’s next pop-up run, but then he’d have to kill you.

Just kidding. Kind of.

“We can’t tell you our ideas — even if we do have them,” he says. “Let’s just say that we do want to expand this and have some more fun with it. Monday night was somewhat of a test run.”

Mister and his U.S. National Whitewater Center coworker Adam Bratton were the brains behind NoDa Brewery’s pop-up run Monday night. The free run, which followed the 3-mile route of NoDa’s weekly Wednesday night runs, wasn’t announced until 24 hours before it began.

Join us tonight for a 3 mile Pop Up Run with @usnwc at 6:30 then head back to the brewery for beer and giveaways! pic.twitter.com/w3VI1KvAjd

— NoDa Run Club (@NoDaRunClub) July 6, 2015

//><!--At that time, the USNWC took to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, proclaiming Charlotte’s premier pop-up run would kick off the following evening and be followed by beers at NoDa Brewing. Sponsors for the center brought in giveaways ranging from hats and shirts to Knights baseball tickets and even a $600 watch.//--><!

Tomorrow Evening (7/6): Join us at @nodabrewing for a Monday night Pop Up Run through NoDa. The 3-mile run starts … pic.twitter.com/32kIOcn3qw — USNWC (@usnwc) July 5, 2015

“The idea is to keep it fun; to keep people on their toes,” says Mister, who notes they were inspired by pop-up restaurants and pop-up vintage clothing shops around Charlotte. “It’s us just having a good time and getting people in the mindset that Charlotte is an active community.”

If there’s anyone who should know about having fun while being active in Charlotte, it’s Mister.

The 26-year-old is the founder of the popular NoDa Run Club and the event coordinator for the USNWC, which means he’s the guy directing its more than 30 races a year. He also helps manage the center’s festivals, which he calls “just throwing a massive party for 15,000 people in Charlotte.”

Getting super pumped for @USNWCTuckFest ’15. Website is now live – http://t.co/KQ6RB5K9HF pic.twitter.com/2oeY66aoNV

— Brian Mister (@bmister06) December 4, 2014

So what’s next?

Mister won’t tell. But he says to keep an eye on the USNWC’s social media. This series won’t be something you’ll find on the website.

“We’re keeping with the Whitewater model of getting people active, but we don’t want to make this something that competes with stuff,” says Mister. “This is really just about having fun.”

Follow the USNWC on Twitter and Instagram at @usnwc.

Photos: John D. Simmons/Charlotte Observer; Courtesy of Brian Mister.

This story was originally published July 9, 2015 at 1:12 AM with the headline "Pop-up runs: The next big thing in Charlotte social fitness."