Beto O'Rourke held a 'running rally' through Manhattan, and we had to bike to keep up

Eliza Relman/INSIDER

2020 presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke took questions from reporters at the end of a two-mile run with supporters up Manhattan's West side.

• 2020 presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke led about 50 supporters on a two-mile run up the Hudson River greenway on Manhattan's West side on Wednesday as part of his celebration of Pride month.
• INSIDER had to grab a CitiBike and ride alongside the joggers to keep up.
• O'Rourke unveiled his plan to protect LGBTQ Americans' rights - including ending conversion therapy for youth, and passing the Equality Act - on Wednesday morning.
• O'Rourke is trailing behind other prominent 2020 candidates, failing to break 2% in recent national polls.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

2020 presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke led about 50 supporters on a two-mile run on Wednesday morning up the Hudson River greenway in Manhattan as part of his celebration of Pride month.

O'Rourke laid out his new plan to protect LGBTQ rights, which includes reversing the Trump administration's ban on transgender troops serving in the military and passing the Equality Act, before a gathering of about 80 supporters before the run.

The crowd ran north along a walking path that stretches hundreds of blocks down Manhattan's West side, ending at an LGBTQ memorial.

INSIDER had to grab a CitiBike and ride alongside the joggers to keep up.

Read more: How likable every 2020 presidential candidate is, ranked

O'Rourke is well-known for jogging on the campaign trail. During his bid for Senate in Texas last year, he held a series of "running town halls," during which he'd chat with voters as they jogged side-by-side.

"Campaigns don't have to be formal and stiff," O'Rourke told the Dallas News last year. "Being involved outdoors can connect you to the community, the state and the country ... and even democracy itself."

The former congressman has even blogged about his solitary morning runs and the thoughts they inspire about democracy.

But O'Rourke's presidential campaign has slowed down. Recent national polling has the Texan at just 2% support, despite raking in about $6 million in the first 24 hours after he announced his bid in mid-March. Media coverage of the candidate has also dropped significantly since his announcement, which came after his heavily-covered, competitive race against Sen. Ted Cruz last year.