By Paige Trendell

Most people think of running as an individual sport, but for Maryland Club Running, every practice is a group activity. 

Team members run in groups that vary in distance and pace, according to club president and junior biology and psychology double major Ben Waterman. 

“If you’re able to run a couple of miles, then you’ll have people to run with,” Waterman said. “It definitely does not have to be fast.”

The team practices every weekday at 5 p.m. The distance team meets at the School of Public Health’s overhang next to parking lot PH2 and the track team meets at the Kehoe Track and Field Complex. 

Some team members are preparing for the Terrapin Invitational track meet at the University of Maryland on April 18. 

“It’s free for any students who want to just come check it out and try racing,” Waterman said. 

However, Waterman said competing in meets is not an expectation. 

“Most of us really just run for fun,” Waterman said, describing competitions as a side aspect of being on the team. “I feel like most people even go to meets as an excuse to hang out with friends for a whole day.” 

Members value the social aspect of Maryland Club Running, whether they are competing or not. 

Thursday’s practice, for example, was twin day. Members in different groups coordinated matching outfits to run in. 

Wednesday was freshman economics major Radhika Saah’s first day of practice. She said she liked the team culture, especially all of the people to run with.  

Saah’s group led her on a run around Lake Artemesia. 

“We did 4.7 miles, and it was really fun,” she said. 

Lake Artemesia is a common running spot for the team, and is one of its four “Top Routes” listed on the website. 

Maryland Club Running typically practices on off-campus trails. 

“The trails nearby are very, very nice. I would almost always prefer that to running on campus,” team vice president and math and economics double major Joseph Jackson said. 

Jackson’s favorite trails nearby are the southeast branch of the Paint Branch Trail and the College Park Trolley Trail. 

Team treasurer and sophomore computer science and math double major Nikita Arya also prefers running on trails near campus. She recommends new runners try out the trails instead of running on campus.  

Arya, the team treasurer, said these trails can “make you get lost in the run and just actually enjoy your run.”

Waterman’s tip to new runners is to keep running.

“It kind of sucks at the beginning. It hurts. But the only way it’s going to get easier is to continue doing it,” he said. 

He recommends staying consistent and finding a running plan that works.

“Eventually it will become easier, and then, eventually it might even become fun too,” Waterman said. 

Joining the team and making friends has helped Arya maintain a consistent running routine after having run in high school. 

“I feel like everyone has that same motivated mindset, so it’s kind of fun to be around. And it’s very contagious, too,” she said. 

Arya said she was not planning to be this dedicated to running after high school, but joining the team changed that. 

“I found my team. I found my best friends, and suddenly, they make runs a lot more enjoyable,” she said. 

Featured Image: Nikita Arya leads a group of runners at the start of Maryland Club Running practice on April 9, 2026. Photo by Paige Trendell.