CAZENOVIA — Meier’s Creek Brewing Company invites runners of all paces and experience levels to join its new Creek Hoppers Trail Running Club.
The group meets on Thursdays at 6 p.m. at the Cazenovia Farm Brewery for a relaxed four- to six-mile run along the scenic trails surrounding Meier’s Creek. Afterwards, runners are invited back to the brewery to cool down with a beverage. Participants ages 21 and over will receive a buy one, get one draft beer coupon that can be redeemed at the farm brewery or the Meier’s Creek Inner Harbor Taproom in Syracuse.
The club is free and open to all. Sign-ups are not required, but first-time Creek Hoppers are asked to sign a quick liability waiver before heading out on their first run.
The group’s routes take advantage of the neighboring Lorenzo State Historic Site property and Cazenovia Preservation Foundation’s extensive Fairchild Hill & Burlingame Area Trails.
“Meier’s Creek has always been inspired by and rooted in nature,” said Janie Kempf, the brewery’s sales and marketing coordinator. “We’re always looking for more opportunities to blend our brand with the great outdoors. Snowshoe Sundays with Cazenovia Preservation Foundation at the Caz Farm Brewery were very successful this winter, so we wanted to continue giving our customers a group to explore the trails with.”
The Creek Hoppers’ mascot and logo were designed through a collaboration between Meier’s Creek and The Lab Creative, a Syracuse-based creative services outfitter specializing in developing brand identities, web design, and web development.
“Andy Orr and Colin Brady of The Lab Creative have spearheaded many projects for Meier’s Creek, including our website, beer can labels, merch designs, and, most recently, Creek Hoppers Trail Running Club,” said Kempf.
Additional information about the brewery’s partnership with The Lab Creative can be found at tothelab.co/work/meiers-creek-brewing-company/.
The Creek Hoppers met up for their first run on May 8.
“The group leaders did a great job of making sure everyone was comfortable and safe,” said Kempf.
According to Orr, who guided the group along an approximately four-mile course, the club plans to offer two routes — one shorter than the other — per night as the group grows to ensure that runners of all abilities can participate and feel comfortable.
“All runs are ‘no drop,’ which means we make sure no runner is left behind, regardless of pace or ability,” Orr said.
The club plans to continue to meet on Thursdays through the beginning of September. After that, the decision to run or not will be made on a week-by-week basis.
“As long as the trails are clear and safe, we’ll be running,” said Kempf.
For the latest updates on the club, follow @CreekHoppersRunClub on Instagram.
Meier’s Creek Cazenovia Farm Brewery is located at 33 Rippleton Rd. For more information, visit meierscreekbrewing.com.
