Bros & Bras: Olympians? No. The Friends You Wish You Had? Yes.

Bros & Bras represents the “middle and the back of the pack” athlete.
This group is for everyone who wants positive encouragement to live a healthier and fit life
through personal and social accountability.
Our motto is No judgment. No Expectations.

Bros & Bras is a group of friends who decided to get a little organized to help each other achieve their fitness goals.

Co-founder Kevin Brackens was running in a race event in Shepherdstown, with his wife and some friends. But there were multiple race options happening on the same day, all going in different directions at different times, and it it was hard for everybody to find each other to meet up before and after the events.

Kevin thought, ‘what if we got a flag? Then everybody could find each other. And what if we got T shirts? Then we would be able to find our friends in these races.’

And so, the idea for Bros & Bras was born. First of all, it’s not what you think – “Bro” actually stands for Brackens Racing Organization, and “Bra” stands for Brackens Racing Association. But yes, the catchy name does help this organization stand out.

Bros & Bras started with regular Saturday workouts with a group of about nine friends. Very quickly that number doubled to about 25 people who were drawn to the club’s non-competitive atmosphere, social aspect and commitment to celebrating all successes, no matter how small.

That, says Kevin, is the foundation of Bros & Bras: “No matter what you did that day, we celebrate your success.”

The club’s leadership style is similarly loose. Workouts and runs are led by anybody who puts a hand up to lead them. Although Kevin puts in hours behind the scenes managing social media, updating the website and planning, he sees success with Bros & Bras thinking of themselves as a club, and not as his organization.

The club is based in Charles Town and is committed to growing foot traffic at home in downtown Charles Town. When you join the club (which is free), you get a T shirt (also free to members) with the Bros & Bras logo on the front and local business logos on the back to advertise around town. Club social events are often held at area businesses, and Bros & Bras plans races and events in conjunction with other downtown events.

Creating community bonds is important to Kevin, who owns his own small business and knows many other Charles Town small business owners. Bros & Bras celebrates birthdays, they end hill workouts with beer at a local brewery (the “Hills & Brewskis” workout), they meet at the Charles Town farmers market to run, and they drop into a local yoga studio for “Broga” and “Bragiri” classes. Bros & Bras gets members moving and moving in their community.

Now in their third year, Bros & Bras has expanded from a fitness and social group to also take on race planning and organization. Their first 5k is coming up on April 23 in Harpers Ferry, WV, with another planned in coordination with Charles Town’s WV Day Arts and Heritage Festival on June 18. An additional five races are in the works, bringing the total number to 7 races for 2016.

Want to learn more? Visit the Bros & Bras website, sign up for one of their races, or look for them on Saturday mornings at Black Dog Coffee or the Charles Town farmers market.

Remember: No expectation. No judgment.