It takes a village

Meet the New York City run crew designed for the South Asian community. Meet the Masala Milers.

South Asians are one of the fastest growing demographic groups in the USA over the past 25 years. There are 5.1 million South Asians across the country – up from 2.2 million in 2000. An estimated 25% of whom are in New York City, with some districts of Queens boasting 20% of their population to be South Asian. So far, so what, right?

I live in Los Angeles, where less than 2.5% of the population identifies as South Asian, a far cry from being in Queens, or London, where 1 in 5 people look like me, rather than 1 in 40. Living here reminds me of running 20 years ago. I just don’t see people like me.

However, the growth in the South Asian population in the US over the past 25 years, coupled with the 50% increase in runners over the past decade, has simply meant that there are more people of every splinter of society running.

In the USA, national organizations like Latinos Run and Black Men Run have both been in operation for over a decade, because health among those minority demographics is as poor as it is in mine, but now South Asian-focused run clubs are beginning to exist. As the absolute numbers of South Asian runners increased, we hit critical mass.

It’s one of the reasons that urban crews were started by people like Charlie Dark and Mike Saes. They didn’t see themselves represented within running culture, so they created what they needed, and it only worked because Run Dem Crew and Bridgerunners were in the heaving metropolises of London and New York, respectively. They needed pure numbers to forge the success that they’ve enjoyed.

Enter Masala Milers, who are purposefully inclusive of all runners of South Asian origin and the diaspora as they look to “foster community through fitness.” I spoke to two founding members, Vinayak Prabhu and Natasha Saran, about why the group is needed, how they found one another, and their hopes for the future.

Both Natasha and Vinayak started running seriously in the past five years, and as both moved to and ran through New York, they both wondered where all the other runners who looked like them were. Vinayak took to the /RunNYC sub-Reddit, but got a lot of hostility in the comments. “Gatekeeping,” as he calls it. Natasha and another future Masala Miler co-founder found the post and messaged him, saying it was a great idea. They eventually met up at the Queens 10k, and the rest is recent modern history.

The thing that I love about Masala Milers is that the group is about the whole South Asian diaspora. There is no mention of either country or religion, which is important when there has been religion-oriented conflict between India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh – the first, third, and eight most populous countries on the planet. There’s a lot of historical beef between those three especially, but as a non-religious person who is both decades and thousands of miles removed from those wars, running with people who have similar cultural upbringings without thinking about the baggage of our ancestors’ battles is an attractive proposition.

Vinayak: “We’re shedding those misgivings that we may have had from whatever we were socialized about. One thing we have managed to create with Masala Milers is that we’ve managed to create a very friendly environment for dialogue and exchange of thoughts and ideas.

Natasha: “That’s important to us because we want to be as inclusive as possible. The whole diaspora is included because I think we need to come together and create that community.”

Natasha: “My thing is South Asian women. You have babies, you take care of the family, and you take care of yourself last. I’ve found so much more empowerment in my 30s and 40s, and I want that for these other women. It’s so great that we have this space for women of all ages, including other South Asian women who don’t want to be moms and not feel like an outsider.”

“We’ve been test driving women-only runs – more gentle, at a slower pace. I want to change our dialogue to: ‘Bring your babies and your carriages. We’re a community and we will help you.’ I don’t mind holding a baby – I just don’t want any. That’s what I would love our community to be.”

South Asian or not, it’s a daunting task to raise children in a city away from family, so this attitude means a lot. I know this first-hand in the same way that my parents did – we both moved 5,000 miles from our homes to start our own families. Everything is more difficult, and no matter how many amazing friends you make, they don’t show up for your kids in the same way that aunts, uncles, and grandparents do. If the starting cost of a night out is $100 for a babysitter, you just do that less. Turning up for yourself with leisure time becomes an infinitely more delicate balancing act.

All of this community that Masala Milers is creating is from scratch. Vinayak started running as a pandemic lockdown challenge, and Natasha segued into the sport naturally. Growing up in India, Vinayak was surrounded by cricketers and parental compulsion to focus on his exams, and Natasha’s family was riddled with early death and heart attacks from a lack of movement. They’re being the role models that they lacked.

“We have to start creating images for the next generations,” says Natasha.

When Masala Milers were invited by the New York Road Runners to take part in a fireside chat as part of AAPI Heritage Month in May, the suggestion had to come via a South Asian NYRR member. Diversity works, and is very necessary.

South Asians are not always included in the AAPI conversation (we’re often classified as Indian, rather than Asian) despite last year receiving a record high of 60% of all anti-Asian hostility from online domestic extremists in America. Part of the upsurge in hate is fueled by the fiercely polarized politics in this country where South Asians like Kamala Harris, Usha Vance, and Zohran Mamdani have taken the spotlight, but micro-agressions are an enduring feature in the lives of South Asians regardless of who has run for office.

Early on into this foray into sports journalism, I reached out to someone in the running industry who didn’t immediately reply but eventually thought it appropriate to explain why: “I thought you were just one of those guys from India on LinkedIn.” An anecdote that you can read into and dwell on as much as you choose to.

I pride myself on writing intersectionally. I write about women’s issues, Latino issues, and Black issues because I understand that their struggles and my struggle are the same. The hope is that support is reciprocated by allies, but intersectionality doesn’t exist without real desire and purpose, so it’s ultimately incumbent on us to make the world we want and need.

“If you want a seat at the table,” says Vinayak, “you either ask for it or you bring a seat for yourself.”

There are others like Masala Milers. While groups like Sikhs in the City, led by Fauja Singh’s coach, were early trailblazers, there are now clubs in Chicago and San Francisco as well as Leicester, London, and beyond. That’s not to forget the burgeoning run club scene across the subcontinent.

There have been questions about the sustainability of this running boom, about whether the current popularity can be maintained, but I only foresee further growth. Just like what Pioneers and PYNRS have done for the black community in Boston, increasing numbers of micro-communities of runners will emerge, inspired by the likes of Masala Milers, who have created a space that can be occupied without permission.

This is the future of running. Forget the seat. We’re bringing our own table.

---

As part of South Asian Heritage Month, which runs from July 18 to August 17 every year, I am hosting a panel in London celebrating South Asian runners. Please join!

I’ve also taken this moment to begin a new, ongoing project on Instagram where I will highlight a different runner, organization, role model, or community member from the South Asian diaspora every week. Follow along if you want to know more.

Other notable South Asian diaspora run clubs

• Chai and Miles - San Francisco

• Chai Mile Run Club - Leicester

• ChaiTown Runners - Chicago

• New Jersey Maniacs - New Jersey

• Samosa Run Club - London

• Sikhs in the City - London

• South Asian Run Club - London

Tell me about any others in the comments.

Housekeeping

UPGRADE - Upgrade your subscription for just $1 a week if you believe in supporting my work.

BUY ME A COFFEE - Think of it as a tip jar for my writing.

SHARE - If you enjoyed reading this, or found it helpful, please share it.

WIN - Upgraded subscribers can win a $100 Janji gift card every single week of 2025. July’s entries are open!

MERCH - You really ought to get a Crying & Running t-shirt from Running Wylder.

GET FREE STICKERS - Get 5 Running Sucks stickers for FREE. Maybe in conjunction with the tip jar…

CONNECT WITH ME - Instagram / Strava

Thanks for reading,
Raz x