Winthrop is home to successful men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams that compete at the Division I level. The programs have approximately eighty members in total and some students compete in events for both teams since each program has a different season.
But what about the students who enjoy running in a motivating environment, but do not want the rigorous routine of a collegiate athlete? That’s where newly-chartered running club officers Ada Carpenter, Eden Crain, and Sarah Kelly Rowe come in.
“When I started at Winthrop, I was shocked that there wasn’t a running club, especially since I saw so many people running around campus. This was the inspiration for starting the club,” Ada Carpenter, a junior Early Childhood Education major, said.
Carpenter joined her high school’s cross country team in ninth grade, but not because she was excited to try running.
“My dad was the coach and he told me that I could either run or have to sit in the car and wait until practice was over since he was my ride home. I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of running, but thought it could be a great way to get into shape for soccer, a sport I have played since kindergarten,” Carpenter said.
Although she was not instantly a fan of the sport, interacting with her teammates helped her develop a love for running. She even became team captain during her junior and senior years of high school.
Winthrop boasts over 150 clubs, including various sporting activities like skydiving and horseback riding, but until these three friends got together, there was nothing as simple as a running club.
“I see people running all the time,” Sarah Kelly Rowe said. “I think especially now with [COVID-19] where there’s a lot of things that are limited and inside activities are very hard to do. I think running outside is something that’s easy to do right now.”
“I think that forming a running community will really help people get more motivated and excited to run,” Eden Crain said.
Rowe and Crain, both junior Human Nutrition majors, began running around the age of 13.
“My older sister encouraged me to start running with her,” Crain said. “Before that I thought I hated running, but the more I kept doing it and saw improvements, the more I wanted to do it.”
“I took a PE and nutrition class at my homeschool co-op,” Rowe said. “It actually got me interested in running because my teacher was a marathon runner, and the nutrition course got me interested in my nutrition major.”
Rowe has now completed a half marathon herself, the longest race she has ever run.
Since this new club is strictly recreational, there will not be any required races or competitions.
“We just want to get runners together and get people interested in running and out there to destress, have fun, and enjoy running around Winthrop and Rock Hill,” Rowe said.
Despite the club being noncompetitive, the officers’ goal is to prepare all club members to run a local 5K. “It’s not required, but it is a benefit of the club during a normal semester,” Rowe said.
Additionally, the recreational theme of this club means anyone is welcome to join.
“We’re going to tailor to the members of the club. Obviously, if we have a lot of members who have not run alot before, then we will do easier workouts,” Rowe said, “whereas, if we have cross country alumni, it will be more like ‘here’s how you can improve your pace,’ different things like that.”
Since the club will be school-year-round, dues of $20 will only be paid once a year. Those dues will pay for a t-shirt and race entry to a local race for each member, but the race remains optional. However, fees will not be due this semester, as club activities are limited because of COVID-19.
“We’re planning on doing runs together twice a week in the evening,” Rowe said.
Since the pandemic also restricts clubs from engaging in activities off campus, the practice course will consist of areas around the main campus, the Coliseum or Winthrop Lake once meetings begin.
“Future semesters we hope to include runs that go from Winthrop around the Rock Hill area. We may also go to different locations or trails to run as a club, but that depends on what club sports allows us to do once things open back up,” Rowe said.
The officers are hoping to gain at least fifteen members this semester. They are already speaking with some interested students, but hope to continue growing in numbers as things make their way back to normal.
As of now there are no official meeting dates, but interested students should keep an eye out for future announcements from Recreational Services or the club’s Instagram account @winthroprunningclub.
“We just want to promote physical well being as well as mental health on campus,” Rowe said.
For more information, or if you have any questions, contact Sarah Kelly Rowe at rowe3@winthrop.edu.
Photo by Olivia Esselman
