On the night of Oct. 21, Northeastern students brought music, friends, underwear and good vibes to Speare Place for the 17th annual student-organized Underwear Run, withstanding rain, wind and dropping temperatures.
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the unofficial Northeastern tradition resumed last fall, shocking organizers with its tremendous turn out.
The Underwear Run dates back to 2006, when undergraduate Story Wibby organized the event through social media and word-of-mouth after discussing the idea of the run with fellow classmates and peers, according to The News’ previous coverage of the event. Nearly two decades later, the Underwear Run is a valued Husky tradition.
Azza Borovicka-Swanson, a fourth-year experience design and engineering combined major, was one of the organizers for this year’s Underwear Run. A first-time runner in 2022, Borovicka-Swanson decided to take over the event after last-year’s organizers graduated. She admitted the planning and organizing process can be overwhelming, accounting for the location, route, DJ, weather and more, but well worth the fun.
“Rain or shine, [the] fun never stops,” she said.
Equipped with a DJ to energize the crowd, the run was set to commence at 9:20 p.m. in Speare Place but ran behind schedule due to technical difficulties. Nonetheless, over 100 students, both experienced runners and first-timers, showed up and out in their underwear, chatting with friends and swaying to music, ready to dash through the 1.9 mile course around campus.
The event started off slow at the 8:40 p.m. pre-run party but was soon overrun with students in their undergarments, some even coordinating matching ensembles with their friends or arriving in costume.
Second-year biology major Joshua Deng and his friends, who had dared him to attend the event, sported matching Donkey Kong underwear for their very first Underwear Run.
“I kind of wanted to see if I could withstand the cold,” Deng said. “I just thought it would be fun.”
It appears Deng was right. Students penetrated the dull sound of rain with laughter, dancing and chattering. Third-year health science major Erica Jackson said that the run was “like a party,” and that there were “great vibes all around.”
The event was also swamped with a considerable number of upperclassmen who wanted to do the Underwear Run at least once before graduating to cross it off their bucket list.
“It’s my third year. I’m trying to get all the Northeastern things done before I graduate,” said Celine Plaisir, a third-year health science and psychology combined major.
As students lingered around Speare Place waiting for the run to commence, spectators like Nicole Perez, a first-year political science major, were drawn to the event by the blaring music and growing crowd.
“I didn’t really know what was going on. I just heard the music from the dining hall. It seemed interesting,” Perez said.
As students took off from Speare Place, they passed the narrow sidewalks of Marino Recreation Center, toward the art installations near West Village H, around the newly constructed EXP building and Carter Field, in between the Curry Student Center and around the Cabot Center, finishing back at Speare Place.
As students both excitedly and breathlessly darted back to Speare Place, some were already anticipating next year’s run, like Kachi Alexander Nwagha, a fourth-year computer science and design combined major, who declared he plans to finish first in the next Underwear Run.
“I am running for fun, but I’m also an athlete, so speed is part of the fun,” said Nwagha, senior forward for the Northeastern Men’s Basketball team.
While some students left immediately after passing the finish line, others stayed afterwards to further enjoy the frivolity of the hip-hop and pop music being played, preparing for the after party hosted by the run’s organizers.
Organizer Borovicka-Swanson said she was “a bit concerned with the rain, but it was a big turnout and people were really excited,” deeming this year’s Underwear Run a success. She hoped next year’s run will be “bigger and better.”
