Fall Vol. 2 - Ralle's November News

Hello to our amazing Ralle community members!

I’m Ella, Ralle’s Marketing Director, and I’m so excited to share another edition of our newsletter with you as a mid-fall check-in. Our team has been working on some truly amazing things, and we can’t wait to share them!

This time of year always carries bittersweet notes for me—the end of warm, sunny days and the beginning of cold, cozy time. I find it to be a wonderful period to recharge and warm up in all the ways that feel good, and to spend more time with the people I love. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to rejuvenate and rest during this season.

Recently, I sat down with our founding team and had the chance to hone and solidify Ralle’s vision into three core pillars. Of course, we are dedicated to providing accessible movement events, but no two Ralle events will ever feel exactly the same. We distilled the types of movement available in Ralle’s community into three segments: Exhale, Exert, and Explore. All Ralle events align with these three categories, which help determine the purpose and unique magic of each one. We love that our community can tap into a different pillar whenever they choose, and we will strive to always have a mix of all three on the calendar as often as possible. Moving forward, as you see our events pop up on our calendar and Instagram, you’ll see each one is now tagged with the pillar it aligns to, providing a clear sense of the type of experience you can expect.

I’m so honored to kick off this month’s newsletter with a special story from our Twin Cities community lead Liam.

Every year my family would walk a few blocks to a friend’s house on Minnehaha parkway where we would sit in the grassy boulevard and watch as hundreds of runners passed by. My mom, sister, and I would cheer loudly, but we could never compete with my dad, who would bring a cowbell and cheer on each runner individually as they passed by, occasionally running out to support someone he knew.

Fast forward to October 2024, my mom, dad and I found ourselves in that same spot where we had always gathered. I let the nostalgia sink in, and found that even with the years nothing much had changed. The cheering, the smiles, it was all still there. As minutes passed by, the feeling of nostalgia and familiarity intensified into something different. Something new. With every runner that passed by I felt a strange connection to them individually. A feeling of pride, belief, and a yearning to see each of them succeed. It was such a powerful culmination of human stories. I found myself scattered trying to map out each person’s reason for running the Twin Cities Marathon. At that moment, I turned to my mom and said:

I’m going to run this thing next year.

I am the first to acknowledge that committing to it was a little naive. I actually disliked running at the time. My relationship with running for soccer fitness had tarnished the enjoyment for me, but the hundreds of strangers pushing themselves to run 26.2 miles convinced me that finally, I had to be a part of this.

So after that moment of reckless decisiveness, I registered, and began reaching out to friends who had completed marathons already. I flooded them with questions and grasped to any advice I could get. I got in touch with Maggie Bowman, a colleague and friend of my mom’s who also happens to be an elite runner and coach to help build a plan for me to train. I worked with Eli, Michael, Max and Seif to begin a twin cities Ralle run club that would meet every Sunday morning at Lake Harriet helping me to find a new love for running that was all my own. As we got closer to the race, Ralle partnered with On whose mission, fun fact, is ‘Unite the human spirit through movement’. That is about as aligned with my own values as it can get. My dad would start my long runs with me, running up to 8 miles whenever I would venture out to do them, and my mom would be on the deck waiting upon my return. All of these connections, the communities, and these moments became pillars for my running over the next year.

Twelve months and a few hours later I found myself on Summit Avenue, enveloped in cheering, rounding the final curve soaking up every bit of downhill momentum I could. After a few more moments I was face to face with the finish line. The last 4 miles had been tough, and so I leaned into everything that had led up to that point. Preparation, early mornings, the joy and excitement of race day, the anxiety, ALL OF IT! The marathon takes place on that day, but the special piece of the marathon for me is – the race is so much more than those few hours, or those final 15 minutes.

It was working with Maggie to learn about running, fueling, and following her plan. It was a celebration of the spaces that were being created through Ralle. It was for the Annunciation Community. It was for my friends and loved ones who I got to see along the side or receive virtual messages from – every one of those moments felt like a push instilling in me a belief that I could do it. It was for my family who ran with me when they could and were there when I decided I was going to do this thing.

The marathon is a culmination of community and movement. People and running. It’s as simple as that. A group of human beings, running, walking, and rolling, all pushing themselves to achieve something that is objectively difficult. So when I pushed myself hard for those last few minutes and reached that finish line, I was met with a strange rush of humanity. I was present, stumbling next to the fences, surrounded by a powerful community that I grew up being a part of, and a bunch of other badass runners that had given their everything. That is a feeling I will continue to chase.

Ralle Team Updates

Our team is growing! Learn about the new folks putting Ralle into motion:

Lara Huns: Lara is a marketing specialist at Ralle working on outreach, strategy, and event management. She’s originally from Chicago, IL but as of now lives in Minneapolis, MN for her undergrad. Currently, she’s studying Strategic Communications, Marketing, and Sociology. On a typical weekend, you can most likely find her going for a run, going thrifting with friends, or reading a good book.

David Park: David is a Marketing & Brand Partnerships Associate at Ralle, working across collaborations, creative strategy, and community activation. He grew up mostly in South Dakota and is a UMN Twin Cities alum. These days he enjoys staying active through running and strength training and likes to switch it up with soccer and bouldering. A strong Saturday for David might involve an outdoor run, a pastry with an iced americano, and a museum visit.

Tomas Casserly: Tomas is a Software Engineer at Ralle, originally from Miami and currently studying Computer Science at the University of Michigan. He’s passionate about building meaningful products, staying active, and surrounding himself with good people. On a typical Sunday, you can either find him playing in his Sunday league soccer match, watching football with friends, or getting in a good workout at the gym.

Instructor Spotlight

This month, we got to sit down with one of our instructors, Mila, who hosts track runs and city runs in NYC. We are so lucky to have her in our circuit, and she’s had such a huge impact already.

What’s your favorite adventure that running and fitness has taken you on thus far?

Running and indoor cycling are my magical combination—I rely on both to stay strong & injury-free. But getting outside on the bike changed everything, (I grew up watching my dad ride so I finally joined him for some rides last year). It led me to riding real mountain climbs with pro cyclists in Spain, and it still feels surreal—I hope it’s just the beginning.

What’s your ultimate power song for the last mile of a race?

Rhyme Dust, MK & Dom Dolla.

What are your top recovery tips?

Sleep, sleep, and sleep. It’s something I never prioritized during my collegiate years—I was the constantly injured teammate—and when you can get sufficient sleep (I’m talking 9 hours +), you’ll always feel 100% better before a workout.

What’s your favorite running route in NYC during the colder months?

A freezing, blue-sky morning in Central Park, for sure. There’s always other runners around, somehow, even if it’s freezing and snowing out. It’s really special.

Anything big you’re looking forward to this fall + winter?

Ralle Track Workouts!!! Big energy coming from our Mccarren team.

New Events

NYC

Restore & FlowYoga @ Drawing Room Williamsburg

Yesterday, we had our first Sunday morning in the Drawing Room with a restorative yoga & breath work session led by Nicole. We slowed down, reconnected with our bodies, and enjoyed tea, coffee & good company in a creative, art-filled space.

Twin Cities

Athletic Brew “Beer” Mile Challenge

Nov 29, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM CST

Join us for our first-ever Ralle Beer Mile — a fast, chaotic, hilarious, high-energy morning at the Rose Gardens in Lyndale Park. Everyone’s back in town for the holiday, and this is the perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving weekend with friends, family, and the Minneapolis community.

Have you heard? We have 2 tik toks now! Check out both our Ralle account and Eli’s account for his founder POV.

As always, thank you for being a part of this growing community. We are so happy to have your support and bring you along on this journey.

Cheers to a chilly season filled with warmth,

Ella + the Ralle team