The Prolyfyck Run Crew is fluid. It was once known as Run These Streets. Members come and go. Leaders pass the baton. William Jones III started the crew. Wes Bellamy helped push it to wider audiences. James Dowell Jr. now organizes the crew’s three weekly morning meet-ups.
The thing that never changes is the Prolyfyck mission: Inspire Black and brown people who might not otherwise be exposed to running as exercise to pound the pavement. How? Run up and down the hills through Charlottesville’s public housing projects and historically Black neighborhoods, modeling an active lifestyle.
“It was started so our people could see us running through our community,” says Dowell, who’s been helping organize the runs since 2019.
A small group of Black men launched Prolyfyck. Then a few Black women joined. Then white folks, other ethnicities. Today, as many as 100 people might run with the crew any given morning.
What does it take to be a part of the movement? Be at the Jefferson School City Center at 6am on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, ready to travel four to five miles on foot. Then join one of three groups: walkers, cruisers, or runners. According to Dowell, the cruisers run nine- to 10-minute miles, while the runners can go as low as six to seven minutes per.
“We encourage each other up every hill—we don’t leave anybody behind,” Dowell says. “A lot of the community members come out and cheer. They might be headed to work or putting their kids on the bus.”
Dowell says he believes Prolyfyck has already made an impact, but there is more to be done—and more to come from the group. “It’s bigger than running,” he says.