👟 A Philly run club for everyone | Morning Newsletter

And Harris campaign concerns.

Some of the 100 walkers and runners at the final Philly Run Tribe event of the season, a three-mile run down Kelly Drive.Read moreSteven M. Falk / Staff Photographer

Published Oct. 17, 2024, 6:00 a.m. ET

The Morning Newsletter

Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Happy Thursday, Philly.

Five friends turned their Kelly Drive run into a weekly gathering of 250 people. They say it’s become much more than just a way to stay healthy.

And Democratic politicos are raising concerns about the state of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign in the city, just weeks before the high-stakes election.

Here’s what to know today.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Bigger than a weekly three-mile run

Running clubs are having a moment, and not only for people who like pain and sweat. Philadelphia boasts clubs for beer enthusiasts, for singles, for women, for people in recovery.

👟 When Philly Run Tribe launched in June, its founders didn’t have a goal to be known as any particular kind of group — they were just five friends from West Philadelphia (including two brothers) staying active together. But soon, thanks to digital word-of-mouth, attendance at their weekly three-mile runs along the banks of the Schuylkill tripled, then kept growing.

👟 The Tribe is now a 250-person-plus “family,” as its cofounders put it. Anyone is welcome, though most who join are Black.

👟 “People will mention to us, ‘It’s so amazing to see so many Black people come together for something so positive,’” cofounder Abdul Muhammad told The Inquirer. “That’s what’s heartening about it — what it means to others.”

Sports reporter Matt Breen has the story of this casual hangout-turned-community.

Does Kamala Harris’ campaign have a Philadelphia problem?

During these high-pressure final weeks of the 2024 election season, local Democratic leaders are concerned the Harris campaign is not making the right moves to convince Philadelphia voters to turn out.

The vice president has visited the city and region several times since declaring her candidacy, including by appealing to Republican voters in Bucks County Wednesday. Yet some insiders are doubting whether her campaign is working closely enough with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, whose 2023 election was buoyed by voters of color.

It’s not an issue of convincing urban voters she’s the best person for the job, some say. It’s about motivating them to act on it.

Reporters Sean Collins Walsh, Julia Terruso, and Anna Orso have the story.

In other election news: Former President Donald Trump’s musical town hall in Oaks Monday has raised questions about his fitness to serve, even as his supporters called it a “celebration of patriotism.” And Elon Musk last quarter donated nearly $75 million to his America PAC, which is behind much of the billionaire’s pro-Trump strategies in Pennsylvania.

What you should know today

The driver who police say struck three nurses and a patient outside of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center’s emergency room has surrendered.
A Southwest Center City resident shot a man who was going through the trash outside the resident’s house early Wednesday morning, police said.
Medical professionals spoke against the Sixers’ plans for a downtown arena Tuesday night, contending that game-day traffic could delay people from reaching critical hospital care.
A South Philadelphia man whose conviction for his role in a 2011 shooting was overturned last year after CNN anchor Jake Tapper brought attention to the case has sued the city.
City Council members are considering a bill that would ban landlords from using software to coordinate rent prices.
Market-rate landlords in Philly have long had an uneasy relationship with the low-income voucher program. More are signing on now as rent competition spikes.
Facing a $240 million annual deficit, SEPTA is proposing to hike fares by an average of 7.5%.
The Di Bruno Bros. trademark and its branded products have been acquired by the Jersey-based company behind ShopRite stores.
Taney Street is slated for a name change after years of residents’ advocacy. The renaming will mark the first time a Philadelphia street is named after a Black woman.

🧠 Trivia time

Taco Bell asked Philly chef Reuben Asaram to reinvent the Crunchwrap Supreme. What’s included in his version?

A) Crispy Thai noodles

B) Hot chicken with Oaxaca cheese

C) Indian buffet-style butter chicken and rice

D) Cheesesteak meat and Whiz

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re...

☕ Drinking: All the caffeine at this weekend’s inaugural Philly Coffee Festival.

⚾ Swiping to decide: Which Phillies players should stay or go in 2025.

🗳️ Considering: How to remove barriers that prevent disabled Americans from voting.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

The reverend and civil rights figure who led North Philadelphia’s Zion Baptist Church

LINUS NOVELLA

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Abbie Moynihan, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: Hop Sing Laundromat. The super-secretive, no-phones-allowed Chinatown spot is one of 11 hot hidden bars in Philly (if you can find them).

Photo of the day

📮 One last civic thing: The voter registration deadline in Pennsylvania is coming up soon on Oct. 21. Here’s what you need to know to vote on Nov. 5. (Plus: Philadelphia won’t finish counting mail ballots on Election Day — but Pittsburgh will.)

Have a great Thursday. See you back here tomorrow.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.