The Albany Running Exchange
In late September 2002, the Albany Running Exchange officially
became a club on the campus of the University at Albany. It was formed
with the hope to bring together both students and members of the community who
shared a common interest in running. The club is open to anyone,
regardless of whether they run seven times a week or seven days a month.
On October 1, after nearly 100 flyers had been posted around
campus, the club held its first meeting. Nearly fifty students showed,
eager to get in shape and enjoy the vast benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
During the first semester, the Albany Running Exchange
continued to grow. More students and faculty members heard about us, and
began coming down to see what we were all about for themselves. In late
November, four of our members ran in the Philadelphia Marathon. It
was the first marathon for three of them, all of whom admitted that if the club
had never been created, there was no way they would have accomplished such a
feat on their own. As time has passed, our members have become a family to
one another.
On December 15, nine of the members raced in the first of the
Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club Winter Series races. In our first team
race, the club quickly established its presence in the local running scene, with
our two runners in the 15k placing first and second overall. In the 5k, we
had two men finish second and eighth overall, as well as two women finishing
second and fourth overall.
We now find ourselves in our second year, with
nearly seventy-five members. This past fall, nearly thirty of us traveled
to Maryland for the Baltimore Running Festival, as our members ran anywhere from
a 5k to a marathon. The club meets daily for group runs, and our members
are constantly striving to challenge themselves both to run faster and longer
than they ever have before. Please feel more than invited to come join us
sometime, and see what the Albany Running Exchange is all about.
