Run club off to fast start in the new school year

BY ASHTYN HANSARD

Digital Media Director

If you’re like me, the idea of joining a club dedicated to running sounds very intimidating, even as a former cross-country runner.

I first heard of the run club through my roommate, who’s an avid runner. She invited me a few times, and I always found an excuse: homework, real work or a new episode of a TV show I’m watching.

While I still have yet to attend a run club practice, I thought it would be interesting to talk to a couple of members and find out why this club is so important to so many people.

Emily Teal, a junior at Tarleton State University, is the founder of Tarleton’s run club. Teal has been running since the seventh grade and even ran for Tarleton her freshman year. Her experience helped influence her to create the club.

“I wanted to create a community-based club for people that also love running and bring together people who have the same interests,” Teal said.

The club was first established during the fall 2024 semester but was officially recognized by Tarleton’s recreational center in fall 2025. While the club has existed for a year, Teal said it’s still in a growing phase.

“When we first started the club, we were meeting twice a month. Now, we meet twice a week. We even have an officer team now, but we’re still hoping to get more people to join as the school year continues,” Teal said.

While it’s still growing, Teal already has goals in mind for the future of the run club.

“I’d like to grow our roster even more and possibly enter in some races as a group,” Teal said. “I think it’d be fun to compete and represent Tarleton in races and campus events. It’d also be really cool to set up our own events and advertise the club more.”

Brooke Roddam, a sophomore at Tarleton, is starting her third semester as a member of the run club. Like Teal, Roddam has been running for a while.

“I ran all throughout middle school and high school, and I didn’t want to be on an actual Tarleton team, but I still wanted to stay running and find a buddy,” Roddam said. “When I found the run club, I was able to get a buddy and run with them.”

The run club focuses heavily on looking for more runners so there’s a running buddy for everyone.

Being part of an extracurricular or a campus club can have a positive or negative impact on someone. For Roddam, she has had a rewarding experience since joining.

“Our run club is still really small, but with all the officers and members that keep joining meetings and are super friendly, I’ve made a lot of new friends,” Roddam said.

Roddam has also found herself building her confidence while running with the group.

“It definitely made me more confident because I can compete, especially with the guys since I’m a girl. I’m like, ‘I’m gonna beat you, you know?’ It’s pretty fun,” she said.

Roddam has been a member of the club since it was founded. She has noticed the growth in the club and also wishes for it to continue.

“I’m hoping that it builds a lot more so we can have more people actually show up and stick with it,” Roddam said. “Right now, we have a lot of people show up on the first day and we don’t see them back, which is understandable because things get busy, but I think it would be a lot of fun if we can get a solid group of people.”

Roddam agrees that competing in races would be a great addition for the club.

“Maybe one day we can all do a team fun run in Fort Worth or the stock show, something like that. That way, we can travel a bit,” Roddam said.

As someone who has her own experience running, I can see how joining the run club can be intimidating, especially if you’re just getting into it. However, Teal and Roddam both want to make it clear that there’s nothing to be afraid of.

“This club’s purpose is to find someone that can relate to you and help hold you up to your goals,” Teal said. “We’re very proud to be community-based. Just come to one meeting and see how much you enjoy yourself.”

Teal and Roddam both stressed that the club is welcoming and inclusive, whether you’re experienced or just starting out.

“It’s a super laid back and chill club,” Roddam said. “If you’re experienced, that’s great. If you’re not, we’re trying to find buddies for everyone. It doesn’t matter your experience level, so just come out here, run and have fun.”

The run club meets every Monday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the track next to the football stadium. Interested members can stop by and see if they’re interested.