Asbury Run Club, which initially launched in October, is one of the newer clubs introduced this semester.
AU Run Club is a club designed to bring students together through faith and fitness. The club’s meetings are on Saturday mornings at 9 a.m. where snacks and refreshments, such as donuts and energy drinks, are provided. Before the run, students are given time to hang out and listen to a devotional. After the devotional, club members start the run, which consists of trails along Asbury’s campus.
The club was created after a conversation between the students Gleason Lee, Bishop Burke and Elijah Collins.
“We ran a lot at the start of the semester, and then we just wanted to bring that together with people and connect with others,” said one of the club’s organizers, Bishop Burke. “We thought this space would be really good to connect with others through faith, fellowship and food.”
Although the creation of the club was simple, the process of making it and getting it approved was not.
“It took a lot of stuff,” said club organizer Gleason Lee. “First, we had to meet with Lauren Boye and get 50 signatures, and then we had to pitch it in front of the Asbury Student Congress, which was fun. Once they approved it, we just started.”
Since the approval of their club, the group has had students share scripture and give devotionals, lead many different themed runs and had a consistent community of people participate. Students, such as Emma Groff and Cosette Maloon, feel that the club has shown to be a meaningful part of student experiences at Asbury.
“The Run Club has really been a great atmosphere for me,” said Groff. “As a runner, sometimes we get caught up in making running a kind of chore or task, but having the AU Run Club is a really good way to create that community and have fun while we run.”
While the running is an aspect many students enjoy, faith is what ties the community together.
“We get together and talk about Jesus and then go on a run as a community,” said Maloon. “It’s just so great because it’s given me a running community, especially since I stopped doing athletics for Asbury last year.”
Despite the involvement of many runners and other athletes, the group emphasizes that the club and its meetings are open for everyone.
“You don’t have to run. You can come walk and just hang out, which is what a good amount of people do,” said club organizer Elijah Collins. “Running is secondary, fellowship is the center.”
For the remainder of the semester, the club has plans of doing more themed runs, and possibly a 5k. In the future, the club hopes to plan 10ks, half marathons and races for students to enter and compete in.
“We’re trying to do a turkey trot or something probably next week,” said Lee. “We’re going to work on planning that.”
In addition, Lee, Burke and Collins plan to still hold meetings in the spring semester, with the possibility of more themed sessions and guest speakers.
The next meeting for the club is next Saturday at 9 a.m. If students are interested and want more information, they can join the GroupMe or the Asbury Run Club Instagram.
Photo courtesy of Joslyn Fredrick.
