Running Club: A Step in a New Direction

By Ryan Dempsey, Staff Writer

If you are a student interested in running with others, now you can. One of the newer club teams at George Mason University is the Mason Runners’ Club.

The runner’s club was founded in spring 2008 by juniors Nadar Hussein and Blake Silver and officially became a Mason club team the following fall semester.

“The only way students were able to competitively run on campus was by being a part of the NCAA division I varsity team,” said Silver. “We wanted something more accessible for students to be apart of and that’s why we formed the club.”

Practices are held at the track behind the Field House every weekday except Thursday. Athletes on the team range from complete beginners to very experienced runners and the team welcomes new runners to join year-round.

There are currently 60 members on the team, half of which are active members.

To be an active member of the club, a runner has to attend just one practice per week.

So far this season, the team has competed in two races. The first event was the Maymont Invitational in Richmond Va., where the team competed against many teams including University of Virginia’s club cross country team.

At Maymont, Hussein placed first on the team and 18th overall, and graduate student Maria Pustlauk placed first overall as well as first in her age group.

The team will also be competing at a Regional meet at James Madison University on Oct. 25 against other club teams in the region.