UPDATED 10/6/13 at 5:51 p.m. If you’re a runner and love a good challenge, there’s still time to register for the Third Annual Cobbs Creek 5k Run/Walk, taking place at 9 a.m. next Saturday, Oct 12.
Taking place now in the fall, the yearly Cobbs Creek race serves as a way to draw people—particularly locals—into the sprawling green space running along 63rd Street between City and Woodland Avenues. Overseen by the recently formed Friends of Cobbs Creek (Facebook page), Cobbs Creek Park features extensive hiking trails, full forests, a rambling creek and rushing waterfalls, and accessible recreational facilities such as basketball courts and playgrounds–all right within reach of even University City’s most eastern boundary. The park also offers children’s programming, like the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center, that will receive financial support from the registration fees, sponsorships and donations gathered from the run/walk.
“I don’t think a lot of people are aware of Cobbs Creek and it’s a shame. It’s really beautiful … It really feels like it’s part of your home,” said Alon Abramson, founder of West Philly Runners and member of Friends of Cobbs Creek. West Philly Runners is sponsoring the event along with Philadelphia Runner, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Philadelphia Water Department, and Fairmount Park Conservancy. “This is good opportunity to get more than just the people that live in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood to recognize this is within a few miles of us.”
In an effort to motivate more runners to register for the race and explore the park, West Philly Runners and Philadelphia Runner have organized a fun run for 9 a.m. this Sunday, Oct 6. The run will start at Philadelphia Runner’s University City location, 3621 Walnut Street and take participants to Cobbs Creek’s Education Center, 700 Cobbs Creek Parkway, for an informational session on the park. Brunch at Cedar Park Café is scheduled after the run.
Abramson theorizes that part of the reason fewer West Philadelphians east of 52nd Street travel to Cobbs Creek Park is a deceptive perception of distance, assuming it’s much further from University City proper than it actually is. In fact, if 40th and Market Streets is your starting point, you can traverse between less than two and a half to less than four miles depending on what section of the over 700-acre park you are visiting. And, depending on where you live in West Philly, traveling time to Cobbs Creek can take 5 – 20 minutes by car, 30 – 40 minutes by public transportation, or a 30 minute bike ride.
“As [part of] West Philly Runners, I’d love to get more runners … people to go that far west and people crossing the invisible divide,” Abramson told West Philly Local. “There’s a real racial boundary at 52nd Street that keeps people separated and segregated, so this is a great opportunity to cross that [border] and see that there’s a really safe, beautiful space. If we could get more people in there, it would be generally positive for the community.”
–Annamarya Scaccia
October 4th, 2013 at 4:41 pm
starting at 40th and Market St., Cobbs Creek is actually less than 2.5 miles away. Starting at 50th and Baltimore, it is less than a mile. Quite a bit closer than the 2nd-to-last paragraph suggests.
October 6th, 2013 at 5:56 pm
True, depending on the part of the park you are visiting. I updated the piece so it’s a bit more specific. Thanks!
October 7th, 2013 at 9:12 am
For runners 4 miles feels far, but 2.5 is a bit easier. Thanks for the update. (there’s now a typo in that section of the paragraph, fyi)
October 4th, 2013 at 6:01 pm
There’s some great old buildings on Baltimore along the way.
October 4th, 2013 at 6:04 pm
There are some great old buildings on Baltimore along the way.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:24 pm
I love Cobbs Creek too, but I disagree that we need to get more white and middle-class people (the general demographic of runners) gentrifying past 52nd street.
October 7th, 2013 at 9:10 am
Arwin put it very well, but let me clarify. The quote in the end of this article was not intended to suggest that we need more gentrification. It was a poor choice of wording and I apologize for that. The paragraph refers to Cobbs Creek Park, not the general community west of 52nd St. I think that is a great neighborhood full of good people and you don’t need to “get more people in there” to make it better or anything. Again, poor word choice. And while we’re at it, my perception that 52nd street is a divide is up for a debate that I’m happy to have.
The point i am trying to make and why I am helping to organize a race in Cobbs Creek is that the park is a wonderful resource for those of us on either side of 52nd Street and one that many of us are not aware of. So, this race is a great opportunity to get folks out to the park. Thanks for reading the article!
October 8th, 2013 at 6:33 pm
I appreciate your point, and don’t mean to be an internet troll. I’m just a bit tired of the attitude that community resources are a well-kept secret until a certain group discovers it and puts in a vegan ice cream co-op, and hope that nobody sees Cobbs Creek that way. I see that you do not, and I hope your run is successful.
October 9th, 2013 at 10:59 am
Not that there’s anything wrong with vegan ice-cream co-ops. I love ice cream (the vegan sort is good, too) and co-ops are pretty rad. Thanks for the opportunity to clarify that bad quote.
October 7th, 2013 at 8:59 am
Neighbors, as a member of West Philly Runners, I can confidently say that our goal is not “gentrifying”. We have runners from all over West Philly (including several who live west of 52nd St.). The whole point is to dispel misconceptions and negative attitudes about who or who not should be on either side of 52nd St. Since WPR started almost 3 years ago, I have NEVER felt anything other than welcome by the people I’ve encountered.
Saying things like “we don’t need more white people west of 52nd St.” is just as ridiculous as saying “we don’t need more black people east of 52nd. street.” Statements like that are what perpetuate stereotypes and discourage community-building.