Cap City Runners is building a big tent for all paces & faces

May 26, 2026

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Hey 518 readers! First, apologies for the late evening send today. Secondly, we missed a big event last weekend—the opening of Expedition Dinosaurs: Rise of the Mammals at the NYS Museum. If you were at the opening weekend, you know the 4th floor of the museum was mobbed!

🦕 We try our best to be in the know about most major events; sometimes things just slip through. As a consolation, here’s a fun video we shot of the dino exhibit. Btw, if you’re not following us on our Instagram, are you even a 518 reader??

🏃‍♂️ Today, we’re introducing you to Cap City Runners, the most visible running club in the Capital Region. You might also recognize co-founder Don Applyrs for a different reason…

🎟️ Lastly, we’re heading to downtown Troy for the next 518 Dinner Club on Wednesday, June 17. You won’t want to miss it!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Part of the Cap City crew in front of Alias Coffee in Albany. Don Applyrs is in the top left corner.

Cap City Runners is building a big tent for all paces & faces

After a decade as a runner in Albany, Don Applyrs has gotten a good look at the city. It’s what he didn’t see that inspired him to start Cap City Runners. 

“I ran the whole city, from Whitehall to the South End, and wouldn’t see anyone that looked like me,” he recalls. “So I just felt like it was time to build something here. There’s no reason we can’t have a diverse running community in Albany.”

One Saturday, he posted to Instagram: I'm starting a community walk and run meetup. He tagged some friends, including Markel "Kaelz" Brace and Angelo "Justice" Maddox Jr. On that first run, Don’s wife, his young daughters, and a few buddies showed up.

That was nearly three years ago. 

Today, his wife is the mayor of Albany—Dorcey Applyrs. And Cap City Runners is arguably the Capital Region's most visible running club, sometimes drawing 100-plus people to their meetups. 

The group is intent on creating a big tent that’s open to “all paces and faces.”

“We have a wide range of different people that come out, at all different levels of their running journey,” says Angelo, a co-founder.

The club meets Saturday mornings at Alias Coffee in Albany and Wednesday evenings at Common Roots Albany Outpost, where members will linger afterwards for happy-hour drinks, food, and conversation. Sometimes they will shut the place down because no one wants to leave.

And unlike other running clubs, Cap City runs year-round. “Rain, sleet, or snow—we go,” Don says.

"Running is a lifestyle. You don't take a break on your lifestyle," Angelo adds.

The community meetups are free. Membership, which runs $200–$350, unlocks training plans, apparel, and partner discounts. But showing up costs nothing, which is the point.

There’s no gatekeeping here. Don recalls one member who approached another local running group and was told, “You’re not fast enough.”

"That's not the kind of community or environment that we want,” he says.

Cap City has room for serious runners, too. Members have chased half-marathon and marathon PRs, and this spring, the club co-organized the inaugural 5.18K race for 518 Day, drawing over 500 registered participants.

This June, a contingent from Cap City will also participate in The Breaking Balance Project, a nonstop, three-day 450-mile relay from Buffalo to Brooklyn. The project is organized by Balance Hope, a Rochester-based nonprofit raising awareness around mental health.

Cap City also promotes an annual Juneteenth Challenge. This year, members will make a personal commitment to run or walk 161 miles during the month of June, honoring the 161 years since the first Juneteenth in 1865. And on June 19th, the club hosts a community 5K and 10K.

The club is an LLC with plans to become a nonprofit because the founders want to make a bigger impact. They’re especially focused on working with youths and improving mental health.

"Running goes way beyond the physical," Angelo says. "It impacts you mentally, it builds confidence, it builds camaraderie. Along with runner’s high, our crew also gets a community high."

Be sure to follow Cap City Runners on their Instagram.

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🤖 Hot on Reddit: The community is raising concerns about an AI data center being proposed for Albany’s South End.

☕️ Jacob Alejandro has moved from its original Troy location at 274 River St. to 9 First St., in the former Slidin' Dirty/Twisted Fiddler location. [Albany Business Review]

🚍️ The CDTA’s Nature Bus returns to service on Saturday, May 30. Hitch a free ride to outdoor destinations like Albany Pine Bush Preserve and Thacher State Park. [News10]

🥒 Capital Roots and Good Food Market are hosting their first Good Food Festival in Troy on Friday, June 5, from 5 to 8 pm, featuring many of the food businesses supported by their incubator kitchen. Among the events is a “Best in Brine” pickle tasting. Presale tickets on sale now. [The Dishing]

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The deets: 3 bd, 2 ba, 1746 sf. Asking: $349,000. Days on market: 5. See the full listing here.

Note: The 518 Weekender now publishes on Thursdays. Watch your inboxes! 

WEDNESDAY

🥟 Get to the Asian American Pacific Islander Month Pop-up at the Empire State Plaza for good eats and live music by the Asian Arts New York Eastern Music Ensemble.

🖼️ Hurry, it’s the last week to see “Designing Power: The Black Panther Party” at the Tang Teaching Museum.

THURSDAY

🎡 On Thursday, the Clifton Park Carnival kicks off 11 days of family fun.

🌺 There are only a few tickets left for the Ten Broeck Mansion Floral Show & Tea Tasting. Only Thursday and Saturday tix are still available.

🍺 It’s a busy weekend at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. West! Beginning with Blooms & Brews on Thursday; Rusticator on Friday, and Havana Night on Saturday.

FRIDAY

🏳️‍🌈 Get to RPI’s EMPAC for a Pride Kick Off, a relaxed, come-as-you-are evening of creativity, music, and good company.

🎬️ Picture Lock One presents Home Screen, featuring a curated selection of home videos of people in their community.

🪻 Albany Pine Bush Preserve’s Discovery Center will open late for Lupine Fest: Nature Night Out with live music and food trucks.

🇦🇲 The Armenian Festival brings dancing, music, and homecooked treats to Watervliet, Fri through Sun.

🛞 Interfaith Sanctuary presents “Drive to Live” in Albany, a stage play set in 1952 about a Black family residing in Albany and Harlem. Fri-Sat.

🎙️ Songs of Freedom: Raising our Voices is a joint fundraiser benefiting Troy Indivisible and Christ Church United Methodist.

SATURDAY

🎭️ Mopco Theatre brings back Spontaneous Broadway, a fully improvised musical that is conceived and performed in a single show!

🎬️ The 4th annual Mayfly Film Festival is an hour of beautiful short films, screened outdoors at Jay Square in downtown Schenectady.

🏃‍♀️ The 48th Annual Delightful Run for Women is this Saturday—online registration closes on Tuesday at midnight!

🎨 The Shaker Heritage Society invites you to a Dot Mandala Charcuterie Board painting workshop.

🎸 Planet KPOP at the Palace Theatre is your chance to experience the music of KPOP Demon Hunters, BTS, Huntr/x, BLACKPINK, and more.

🕰️ DD's Vintage & More is at the Schodack Flea Market every weekend through the summer.

🌱 The Catskills Cup Spring Fling at McGrath's Edgewood Falls features a chainsaw carver, food trucks, seed swap, and more.

🎸 Lark Before Dark is billed as a dance party for people who have things to do the next day.

SUNDAY

🦉 Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park's Annual Wildlife Festival will feature lots of live animals and demos on sustainability and science.

🏃‍♂️ The Cantina Kids Fun Run is an athletic event for kids up to age 12 held in Saratoga’s Congress Park.

🖼️ The Festival of Young Artists at SPAC features student popup performances, poetry slams, fine art displays, and food vendors.

💃 Ecstatic Dance Troy transforms into SEED: Soul Expansion Embodiment Dance, a guided, anatomy-informed, life-force awakening journey where music and movement meet conscious facilitation.

🏳️‍🌈 Organized by the Pride Center of the Capital Region, the annual Pride Rainbow 5K Run-Walk is a fun family-friendly event with runners of all levels.

🍵 The 46th Annual Saratoga Antique Bottle Show & Sale is the major fundraiser for the National Bottle Museum. See a variety of bottles from early New England communities.

🤣 Mabel & Geffrey’s Musical Comedy Fundraiser is a witty blend of live music, improvisation, and playful storytelling.

🦅 Birds ‘N Brews at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co. welcomes winged friends from the Whispering Willow Wild Care.

🛍️ Join Sand Lake Merchant and Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Averill Park for their Spring Merchant Market.

MONDAY

🏳️‍🌈 Get to Nine Pin for its Pride Drag Show, with a portion of the proceeds donated to LGBTQIA+ non-profit organizations in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley.

🎸 An Evening With Cake at SPAC brings the Sacramento-based band known for their unique blend of funk, country, mariachi, jazz, and folk influences.

ON VIEW

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

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