In the winter of 2012, at a booth inside the Brickwall Tavern in Asbury Park — between good food, heavy drinks, and the buzz of a Jersey Shore Roller Girls match — a spark caught fire. Four friends: John Beck, his brother-in-law Christopher Lucania, and the unstoppable Murray brothers, Michael and James, gave that spark a name: Uptown Gentlefriends — a title born from the film Anchorman, but destined for far more than punchlines.
What started as a few friends training for road races and mud runs quickly transformed into something singular. A running group unlike any other. Not just a club — a movement. Not just training — a creative force that redefined what a running event could be.
In 2017, John launched the Dash and Deciduous 5k, a trail run wrapped in whimsy, grit, and wild beauty. It was a hit. But it was only the beginning.
Inspired by the relentless energy of 3 Days at the Fair, he brought a new kind of training run to life — a 12-hour honor-system odyssey at a local track. That idea grew, took root in the woods, and became moonflower: a daylight-long gathering that begins at dawn and ends at twilight. It’s a place for runners to come and go as they please, rack up laps, share snacks, and settle into a rhythm only found under the trees.
Then came the game changer. In late 2019, pulling from the under-celebrated canal trails that stitch together NJ and PA, John envisioned a winter series that would become legend: the Delaware River Loop Series. Six loops, two states, infinite stories. What began as a winter experiment became the flagship of the Uptown Gentlefriends — a proving ground, a pilgrimage, and a launchpad for dozens of runners to take on their first marathon.
UGF is more than a running group. It’s a community of the bold, a refuge for the strange and strong, and a beacon for those who run not just for time, but for meaning. The people who show up to our events are the best kind of people: brave, weird, generous, and ready to grind.
We volunteer. We cheer. We build finish lines out of duct tape and dreams. And somehow, our events are better than anything else out there — because our people make them that way.
Uptown Gentlefriends isn’t just a name.
It’s a standard.
It’s a challenge.
It’s an open invitation.
Come run with us — or just stop by and say hi. But be warned: nothing else will compare.
Visit www.uptowngentlefriends.com for event details, results, photo galleries, and a look at the magic.