Walking to and from evening classes on Northeastern’s campus, it’s hard to miss the gathering of people on Krentzman Quad, all outfitted in sneakers and athletic wear. These students meet there 4 days per week at 6 p.m. for a run, and it’s all organized by Northeastern University Club Running, or NUCR.
NUCR is the largest club sport on campus, boasting over 200 members. It is open to runners of any ability, from those who have no running experience to high school track stars. Not only do runners say the group is fun, it’s also successful; the men’s team previously won cross country nationals two years in a row, in 2021 and 2022.
Northeastern University is home to 64 different club sports, ranging from golf and powerlifting to rugby and running. Club sports at Northeastern were first established in the 1940s and are some of the strongest in the nation, winning numerous national titles each year. There are over 3,500 student athletes participating in club sports across the university, allowing many students to continue competing after high school.
The only requirements NUCR has are for its distance running group, where club members must be able run three to four miles at a nine minute pace or faster. Even if an athlete cannot make the cut-off for the distance group, there is no barrier to the sprinting squad.
“I have been doing track my whole life and I just wanted to continue that passion that I had,” graduate student Tihan Perera said. “It has been a really fun experience since I joined last year. Everyday is a new memory and getting to know everyone is really special.”
The club encourages those without experience to join as well, hoping to get as many people running as possible.
“[NUCR] is a very inclusive and fun community,” said Ava Serrano, a fourth-year chemistry major. “It doesn’t matter your ability level, there is somewhere for everyone. We have some people who are super speedy and then some people who are just here for fun.”
The club trains its athletes for everything from marathons to sprints, and along the way, they form a strong sense of community. The club competes nearly weekly, participating in cross country in the fall and track in the winter and spring, as well as road races throughout the year. This season, which began in September, NUCR has competed in two meets.
On Sept. 14, the Huskies swept the men’s podium at the annual Minuteman XC Invitational in Amherst, Massachusetts and took first and third on the women’s side. The team took first place with the most points for both men and women at the event.
One week later on Sept. 21, the team took part in the 56th annual BC Codfish Bowl in Franklin Park.
The team will be back in action at the Brown Bear Invitational in Attleboro, Mass. Sept. 28.
“I always enjoy racing with the team, it is super fun and I think everyone is really supportive of everyone else,” Serrano said. “It is really inspiring to see everyone cheer each other on at [races].”
Daniel Flynn, a fourth year computer engineering and computer science major, echoed the sentiment, and said he has found racing and training with the team to be incredibly rewarding.
“I have met a lot of good friends, a lot of solid training partners and a lot of people who have really pushed me in the sport of distance running here,” he said.
The distance group builds into each week with an easy run on Monday, and then throughout the week has two workouts and a long run with easy runs in between. The sprint group runs three workouts weekly, including hurdle work, as well as cross training. The club encourages strength training for everyone — its leaders consider it an essential part of every runner’s training plan.
These tight-knit friendships are formed through more than just running — the club partakes in many events throughout the semester, including an annual bake-off, team hikes and yearly apple picking trips. These activities create an environment where many form lifelong friendships.
“At the end of the day, club running is more than just another [sport], it is a family for people,” said fourth-year mathematics and computer science major and current club vice president Jonah Jaffe. “[Many people] start coming for the running, and then they stay for the people.”
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