July Podcast Guest: Alex Rongstad
How One Runner Turned Every Street Into a Story: The Community-Building Spirit of Alex Rongstad
The Eau Claire running community has countless friendly faces, but few people embody connection and creativity quite like Alex Rongstad. In Episode 7 of Running on Air, hosts Emily Wermund and Adam Ludwig sat down with their longtime friend to talk about running, community, and the unexpected ways a simple idea can grow into something meaningful.
Alex grew up in Eau Claire, and even after recently moving to Shakopee, Minnesota, he still describes Eau Claire as home. He carries the city with him wherever he runs. He returns frequently for group runs, community events, and long miles with familiar faces. For him, running is not only movement. It is memory, place, and the relationships that form along the way.
Alex’s running journey began in high school when he joined cross country, almost by accident. He tried to avoid a fall sport entirely, negotiated with his parents, and ended up on the team anyway. It took years for him to separate the competitive side of running from the joy of simply moving his body. When Blue Ox Running opened in Eau Claire, he found a community that helped him reconnect with the part of running that fills him up rather than drains him. As he grew into the local running scene, he realized he wanted to contribute to that sense of connection for others.
That desire led to one of his best-known projects: running every street in the city of Eau Claire. The idea took shape during the pandemic when races were paused and people were looking for new ways to engage with their surroundings. Alex wanted to see the hidden corners of the city he had lived in his entire life. He created maps, took meticulous notes, and began weaving together routes that touched every stretch of pavement.
The project shifted from curiosity to something deeper one night when he ran through his childhood neighborhood without a map. Every turn triggered a memory. Every street reminded him of moments that shaped him. He realized everyone has a similar relationship to the places they grow up. Streets hold stories. Sidewalks hold the weight of years. If all the streets connect, people do too.
That insight became a spark. Alex finished the first year of the project by inviting anyone to join him for the remaining segments. People showed up, not for a medal or a training plan, but simply to run together. Alex still gets emotional describing how meaningful those shared miles became. Something small transformed into something powerful, and now he has completed the project four times.
His creativity did not stop there. Over the years, Alex has organized countless themed runs: crossing every bridge in Eau Claire, visiting every outdoor track, and most recently, exploring historical high points around the city. He designs these ideas to help people experience Eau Claire in ways they never have before. Some runners show up having never visited these spaces, and Alex loves seeing them discover their own connections to the city.
Alex believes running becomes stronger when it is shared. He often hears people say they are “not real runners,” especially when they attend group runs for the first time. He encourages them to start slow, focus on conversational pace, and remember that every step is a fresh beginning. He thinks of running as an ongoing opportunity to begin again, no matter how someone feels about their pace, their fitness, or their confidence.
Moving to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area has given Alex a new appreciation for how running communities form across different cities. He now works at Mill City Running and has found familiar energy in a much larger setting. Group runs, friendly faces, and shared stories bring him the same sense of belonging he felt in Eau Claire. He has even started a new “every street” project in Shakopee.
Alex encourages anyone looking to enter a local running community to simply put themselves out there. Join a group run. Start a small gathering. Invite others. Creating connection can feel intimidating at first, but the reward always outweighs the fear. For Alex, running together reveals what people share, not what separates them.
The episode ends with playful rapid-fire questions, but the heart of the conversation remains clear. Alex reminds us that running is more than miles. It is about connection, creativity, and the chance to meet people exactly where they are.
Listen to the full July episode of “Running on Air” here: Running on Air w/ Eau Claire Marathon #7 - Connecting with the Community Through Running Eau Claire Hometown Media | iHeart
