David Alm on going back to basics

David Alm is a Brooklyn-based writer, an editor, and a professor of journalism at Hunter College of the City University of New York. His work has appeared in GQ, Running Times, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and Runner’s World. His 2021 story for GQ, "The Marathon Men Who Can't Go Home," was named one of the six best features of the year by Longreads and helped two men receive political asylum.

David inspires change through his writing and also through action. In 2019, he founded the East River Track Club and East River 5000, which is a series of community-focused track and road races throughout New York City. With East River 5000, David’s mission is to restore the simplicity and accessibility of competitive running in New York. While looking to the past to create a more inclusive present, he is inspired by the less commercialized style of racing in the 1970s and ’80s. Each of his events is a collaboration with local partners that highlights the unique histories and cultures of the local neighborhood. These events are creative, accessible, inviting, supportive, and incredibly fun.

David is a wonderful storyteller, and this conversation is a great story about New York, building community, taking chances, and putting down roots.