OMG: The Story of Milwaukee’s Running Group

If you’ve spent any time around Milwaukee running circles, you’ve probably seen OMG: The Original Milwaukee Running Group.

What a lot of people don’t know is that Original Milwaukee Running Group (OMG) didn’t start as some master-planned community. It just kept growing.

On Saturday morning in 2011, five runners met for a three-mile loop around Veterans Park, starting near the kite rental shack.

Word spread, people found the group on Meetup, and the calendar filled fast—more runs, more familiar faces, more reasons to come back.

But the real magic wasn’t just the miles. It was what happened after: the breakfasts, the parties, the campouts, the friendships that made the group feel like a home base.

In the conversation below, Patrick Bieser shares how OMG grew from that first lakefront loop into a citywide community, why traditions like Winter Points became legendary, and how the group stays genuinely welcoming—whether you’re mixing in walk breaks or training for something big.

For people who have seen “Milwaukee Running Group OMG” but don’t know the backstory, how did the group get started?

Five people attended our first run – a 3 mile loop around Veteran’s Park starting from the kite rental shack. That was Saturday morning, October 1, 2011. Word spread, people found us on Meetup, and two months later we had 17 active members and three scheduled runs each week. 

By 2012, active members with too much energy began organizing picnics, parties, after-Saturday-run breakfasts, and campouts, and the leadership of the group transitioned from the founder, who worked in New York during the week, to other members including myself.

From the beginning, people stayed not just for the miles, but for what happened after. We gained a reputation for balancing running and social activities. That was a winning formula and by the end of 2013 we had 250 members. In October of 2014 the most active members elected a Board and voted to rename the group to OMG (Original Milwaukee Running Group – understanding that the R is silent).

When you think back to those early days of OMG, what’s one moment where you thought, “OK, this is becoming something bigger than just a few friends running”?

When Michael and Bridget met at a group run and married a few years later. That when we realized the group had become a big part of our lives. When people start building their lives around a thing, you know it’s real.

What role does the North Shore—places like Shorewood, Lake Park, the Oak Leaf Trail, the lakefront—play in the identity of OMG?

Our roots are on the east side / North Shore. We continue to host 80% of our runs along the lake and 60% of our new members come from a belt that stretches from Mequon to Franklin. But we also host weekly runs in Tosa, Brookfield, and Greenfield. Anyone who is willing to follow basic guidelines is welcome to become an OMG host and sponsor a weekly run. 

When you picture a “classic” OMG run, where are we, what time is it, and what’s happening before/after the run?

Saturday morning 8:00am at Colectivo has all of the characteristics of an OMG run: Gather at a public meeting place with bathrooms and shelter. People of all ages, abilities, experience, and professions mingle for 5-10 minutes. Friends catch up. Newcomers are spotted, greeted, and made to feel welcomed. Announcements for 2 minutes, a group picture, and we’re off. Fast people in the front, slower people in the back. By the end of the first mile the 10 to 90 runners have self organized into like-paced groups and are comfortably chatting. That’s the template. All our other runs are minor variations.

From the Lake Park Turkey Trot to Oak Leaf Trail cleanups, what are some of the signature OMG events you’re especially proud of?

• “OMG We Ran All Winter” challenge

• Oakleaf Trail Cleanup spring service project every year in early May

• Super Bowl party with annual Chili Contest - usually 100+ people

• Indoor yoga & plyometric classes in the winter (free to members)

• Monday Medal. The same medal has passed each week for the past 10 years to the most worthy recipient. 

• Monday Meal travels to a different restaurant every week after the Monday evening run.

• Monday Trivia-Planks. 5 minutes of core work while someone reads trivia questions. 

• Milwaukee Beer Mile - the only official Beer Mile in Milwaukee

• Lake Park Turkey Trot - OMG didn’t start this, but we are a major sponsor. 

• Friendsgiving 

• Goodwill Party with Banana Awards - Annual All-night Holiday party

• Picnic every Wednesday evening at South Shore in the summer

• Pub runs in the spring and summer

• Fall 50 / Ragnar / 5k / racing teams

• Polar Bear plunge team on New Year’s Day!

The “OMG, We Ran All Winter” challenge is legendary. How did that idea start, and what kind of person willingly runs for extra points in below-zero wind chills?

I came up with the idea for the Winter Challenge 10 years ago while brainstorming with Clint Piper, my co-leader at the time. We wanted to find a way to increase attendance in the cold and dark of winter when no one wanted to go outside. This year over 300 people joined the challenge.

Here is how it works: Every time a member of OMG goes for an outdoor run they earn 1 point. The colder it is, the more points you can earn. If you get to 25 points your name is added to the Winter Shirt. Points are tracked on a Google sheet that everyone can see.  Everyone is on a team, and every team has a captain who tracks the points. Teams compete with each other in three divisions. Individuals compete as well. There are dozens of fun wrinkles that make the challenge engaging and addictive. (Game theory works!)  

I really can't explain why people get excited by Winter Points, but every year as the season approaches, there is a palpable anticipation. As the season progresses, the colder it is the more people seem to show up. Some of our best attended runs of the year are during the winter points season. We even invented a term for people who get too into Winter Points – OPD. It stands for Obsessive Points Disorder. People who are diagnosed wear the badge with pride.  If “Winter Points” was a video game it would sell out. 

What’s the coldest/snowiest/most ridiculous run you remember from an OMG winter, and what kept people from just staying in bed?

A few years ago the temperature in Milwaukee hit -26°F.  The wind chill was -75.  Five of us showed up for a morning run along with a news crew from a local station. They put us on TV that morning, with video of our frozen eyelashes and covered faces, and their social media post was flooded with impolite comments and unsolicited advice. We found it humorous.

The challenge of doing something hard is compelling. Knowing you were there, when everyone else was intimidated, and that it wasn’t nearly as bad as everyone’s imaginations, made it fun. 

There’s also the beer mile, chili cook-off, thrift-store party… how intentional were you about building in these playful traditions versus them just evolving organically?

Most of our recurring annual events arose organically from OMG member suggestions. John Gamrat told me about this race called the Beer Mile and noted that Milwaukee didn’t have one. I did some research and put it together. A dinner time debate during a Monday Meal about who had the best chili led to our annual cookoff during our Super Bowl Party. Dan Szedziewski thought it would be fun to have a party at Christmas time where everyone dressed up in whatever they could find from Goodwill.

A few years later we added the Banana Awards to the party – a laminated Banana to proudly hang on your medal rack given to anyone in the group who had done something notable – funny or otherwise. A photo accompanies each award. The leadership of OMG spotted the magic ingredients for each event – no cost/low cost, likely to appeal broadly, informal, fun. We don’t invent the fun, but we notice it and get out of the way.

Annual OMG Beer Mile

You’ve said OMG has room for everyone from people mixing walking and running to folks who could win Boston. How do you make the group feel truly welcoming to all paces?

OMG’s cultural values flow from the top. Each of the 22 hosts who show up at our 18 weekly runs were chosen for their welcoming personalities and willingness to run at any pace. New runners discover that the group is not nearly as bad as their anxiety had predicted. Some are lucky, and make a new friend on their first run. Most find connections after 3-4 runs. An endorsement from a slower runner who tells a friend leads to a network effect.

We post pictures every day to Facebook and sometimes to Instagram. That helps a ton. Many people lurk on our Facebook page and every day they see people who look like themselves. For some it will take two years to muster the courage to show up, but when they do, 100% of the time they realize they waited too long.

At least 12 couples have met through OMG and gotten married. What is it about running together that builds such strong friendships and relationships?

Runners have mental toughness, discipline, and resilience. Seeing someone else struggle on a hill awakens empathy and invites connection. Top runners have the ability to push through discomfort and endure physical and mental fatigue. Runners tend to have a proactive, goal-oriented mindset. When two people with these qualities meet it can be a good match. High quality people attract other high quality people. Connections built on a shared mindsets are connections that will last.

You’ve joked that early-morning runners are a “special subtype of the human species.” What do you think draws people to those pre-dawn runs, especially in winter?

I joke about this subtype because I am not one of them. I’m a night owl. Morning runners are chirpy and ready for the day while I am groaning and hitting the snooze button. They see my desire to stay in bed as a moral failure rather than a biological reality. But, their tanks hit empty around the time I’m contemplating a 9pm run so I can do some serious thinking. In my experience, true wisdom comes from lying awake at night worrying. The world needs both types.

You’ve mentioned that running is one of the rare times when people aren’t on their phones. What kinds of conversations and connections happen on the run that you don’t see elsewhere?

There are few times in our lives when we are side by side with another human, in an unstructured context, with no expectations. Running conversation topics drift naturally; weather, nagging knee pain, car trouble, joke, silence. Because there is time and little eye contact, it’s safe to share thoughts that aren’t fully formed. Ask open-ended questions. Make space for listening. Reduce everyday filters. When you run for 30-60 minutes with other runners, at a challenging pace, you have a shared experience that isn’t easy, and for a moment it creates a \bond. Our guard is lowered. Outside of therapy, it’s hard to find another space like it.

For families in the North Shore who want to be more active together, how can OMG be part of that - whether through events, cheering sections, or kids joining for parts of runs?

OMG welcomes kids, dogs, families, (slower) bikers, visitors, and anyone who brings cookies. Families attend our parties, volunteer together at marathon aid stations, and cheer at our Beer Mile. (We have a root beer event at the same time.)  

What advice do you have for someone who hasn’t run since high school gym class but is curious about showing up to an OMG run for the first time?

The most frequently asked question we get..... is there anyone in the group who runs at my pace?  

At most runs the typical paces include: glacial, turtle, politician-avoiding-a-question, Boston qualifier, and whatever pace Richard is running this week. NO ONE will judge your speed. We probably won't even notice. For some, there is a fear of showing up for your first run. "What if I'm too slow?! What if I'm wearing the wrong shoes?! What if they're all dorks!?"  

Over 3,000 people have taken the leap. Many have found new running buddies, lifetime friends, and improved their fitness, mental health, and self-esteem. Some members report weight loss, speed gains, and fewer cavities.

If you're a shy introvert the host will greet you softly. If you're not planning to run the Boston marathon then congrats because you're like the rest of us. Except for Jenny. She's fast!

When we gather no one cares who's fast or slow and most will meet people you never would have crossed paths with otherwise. It’s pretty special.  Here's the secret. #JustShowUp. 

You’re running a company, you’re a scoutmaster, you have two teens at home, and lead OMG. How has running shaped the way you lead in your professional life?

Running didn’t shape my professional life. That was more on my mother. She told me that the lord gave me gifts but that they weren’t mine. They were meant to be shared so that’s been my theme. Running is my time to slow down, process, and clear my head. Being OMG’s organizer means I get to enjoy all the same benefits as everyone else. 

A lot of North Shore Family Adventures readers are parents and busy professionals. How have you seen OMG help people build community and friendships here, beyond just logging miles?

OMGrs have made connections, found jobs, formed sports teams, organized politically, shared recipes, travelled together on adventures, and connected in an uncountable number of ways.  When quality people find each other, good things happen. 

When you look back years from now, what do you hope people will say OMG meant to them and to Milwaukee?

I hope they say it made Milwaukee feel closer and kinder.