A Latino running club has shifted its route out of Leimert Park, a historically Black neighborhood in Los Angeles, after local pushback urged organizers to take their weekly run elsewhere.
Barrio Athletics said its Sunday 5K would no longer begin in the Crenshaw-area cultural hub and would instead move to Elysian Park, near Dodger Stadium, after what the group described as “careful conversation with community leaders.”
The dispute, which began as a disagreement over a community run, quickly grew into a broader debate about identity, belonging and the future of one of Los Angeles’ most significant Black cultural districts.
The group had planned to gather at Leimert Park at 9 a.m. before running along Crenshaw Boulevard, but residents and community advocates objected, arguing the event could interfere with a long-running Sunday marketplace where Black vendors rely on foot traffic and sales.
The criticism soon escalated, with some detractors claiming the Latino run club’s 5K could be a way to “scope out” the area, reflecting wider anxieties about gentrification, rising costs and displacement in South Los Angeles.
On social media, one user referred to Leimert Park as “black space” and cautioned Barrio Athletics that participants would be “met with resistance from the black community” if the run went forward there.
The same commenter also framed the planned gathering as a potential “hostile takeover” by the Hispanic community.
Other critics went further, with some threatening to contact ICE or physically confront the Latino runners if they arrived in the neighborhood.
Barrio Athletics initially tried to avoid problems by saying it would move its warm-up and 5K starting point so it wouldn’t conflict with the marketplace.
The organization said the change was intended “to respect the local vendors’ space and not cause any disturbance to the market at the park.”
But that wasn’t enough for some opponents.
Najee Ali, director of Project Islamic Hope, called on Mayor Karen Bass to intervene, declaring Leimert Park “the crown jewel and heart and soul of Black Los Angeles.”
Ultimately, Barrio Athletics decided to relocate the 5K.
“We are making this decision to respect Leimert Park and the surrounding community,” the group wrote on Instagram.
