URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) – Sundays have a new look on U of I’s campus. Hundreds of runners — of all ages and abilities — have started coming together not only for the miles, but for the memories.
“I think this is like the greatest spot on campus to be Sunday mornings,” Illini Run Club Co-Founder Connor Brown said.
Illini Run Club is following in the footsteps of clubs like the Chicago Run Collective — bringing people together for more than just exercise.
“We want people to kind of build that community, build that kind of friendship, and meet people they wouldn’t have normally met through their classes, through their work, through other opportunities like that,” Illini Run Club Co-Founder Ryan Miller said.
The club crossed the finish line of their 11th 2-mile run of the semester — something that’s catching the attention of their growing social media following.
“I was a runner in high school, and then when I came here, I was looking for something lower commitment [but] still like a social way to meet people,” sophomore Katie Armstrong said. “And so, when I saw this on Instagram, I was like ‘This is perfect.’”
The club is open to anyone, not just students. On Sunday, that included the dads and other family members celebrating Dad’s Weekend at the university
“Having my parents here, seeing them see what it’s like today — I’m calling them like all the time during the week and telling them different milestones we’ve hit, ‘Oh we got this sponsor, we got this,’ and for them to actually be here and see it is kind of pretty cool
Both Miller and Brown said it’s exciting to see how the club has already taken off.
“We’ve been shocked and super grateful for how well things have been going,” Miller said.
They’re ready to go the extra mile to take that sense of community into the years that follow.
“I hope we just build it to something that can surpass us, me and Ryan,” Brown said. “This is a community that’s definitely needed at the U of I.
The club teased on Instagram that next week might be their last run of the semester. Organizers said that account is the best way to stay up to date with the club.
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