The UOW Run Club offers students an inclusive and supportive environment to exercise, socialise, improve their lifestyles, and escape temporarily from the university semester.
UOW Run Club president Jonty Westbrook said the number of people in attendance at the run club events and sessions is growing, often surpassing over 30 participants.
“The attendance on a Monday is good we are usually looking at around 50 to 60 people on a Monday especially if the weather is good people like to turn out for the runs,” Mr Westbrook said.
“For Wednesday it goes to around 20 to 30 which is a bit of a smaller group but it makes it more intimate, it allows us to have more social time with all our members and it lets us get to know everyone.”
Mr Westbrook said that the club, which began this year, has organised social events where club members can connect.
“After the uni run club, we just like to talk around, and we like to do some events sometimes I think we looking to do more social events this semester especially and so after the runs we like to get together, mingle as a group and I think the running helps us break ice barriers,” Mr Westbrook said.
“We are looking at doing a trivia night at some point this semester to get everyone that comes to our runs to get involved with it just to get to know everyone a bit more.”
UOW student Michael Piela said that the run club events help to clear his thoughts after university classes and study.
“I suppose that for me it was a good type of relaxation after the working day so I can have relief from a little run with the fellas and just have my thoughts be somewhere else for a second,” Mr Piela said.
Mr Piela said that the run club has been key in building his motivation and provides an opportunity to reach his personal goals as a long-distance runner.
“I’m just trying to complete my status as an athlete because I’ve been running before and I know I can do that but I lost my form a couple of years, so I’m trying to get back into it,” Mr Piela said.
The UOW Run Club plans to hold sessions at North Wollongong Beach and the Innovation Campus until the end of the 2024 Spring semester.
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