Club Feature: Run GFU — The Crescent

Reported by: Bryn Heikes

Photographed by: Imogene Eagan

At 8:30am every Saturday, when the sun is barely rising and the air is still cold the Run GFU club assembles in front of the Hadlock Student Center (HSC), chatting for a while before departing on an early morning run. Run GFU is a relatively new club, founded by seniors Keoni Lynam and Molly Carter last fall.

“Running has always been something I’ve enjoyed doing to de-stress. I know several runners on campus, but there was not an easy way for us all to connect as a community,” said Lynam. “So I wanted to start this club, so we might be able to connect with other runner’s on campus and foster a community.”

After the inspiration to form the club struck, Lynam quickly recruited friend and fellow runner, Molly Carter, to serve as Vice President for the club. “My friend Keoni asked me if I wanted to help him run a running club with him. We spent freshman and sophomore year running together so it made sense to want to include others in our activity because there are a lot of other runners at GFU that aren't affiliated with the track team and also participated in one in high school,” said Carter.

Co-Vice President Daniel Oppenlander was drawn to the club for this exact reason. “I did cross-country and track in high school, and I wanted to keep running [non-competitively] after that ended,” he said.

Their mission? “Run GFU strives to provide George Fox students with the opportunity to explore the world of running,” said Lynam. “We create an environment that fosters growth and allows for exploration in order to help individuals push beyond their limits.”

“We want to help others achieve their goals, whether it be starting their running goals or training to run a marathon!” added Carter. On that note, Lynam was careful to emphasize that Run GFU isn’t just for experienced milers. “Our meetings are a super safe place to start exploring recreational running, and we would love to have anyone show up, no matter their running goals.”

According to Lynam, Run GFU currently has a handful of active members, but they’ve seen growth in the recent months. “We have about 45 members that have signed up for our email list and approximately a dozen or so active members. We’ve seen our numbers increase slightly which is super exciting.”

During a typical meeting, members gather in front of HSC at 8:30 every Saturday morning. “We spend the first part of the meeting just hanging out, meeting any new members, and getting a feel for what type of run everyone wants to do. We will run together at any pace!” said Lynam. “Mileage varies, and we typically are able to have people drop off, so they can join only for part of the run if they want,” added Oppenlander.

“The goal for us is to have fun and encourage each other,” said Lynam.

Of course, the club has had to make a few adjustments in light of COVID-19. “In order to stay safe on group runs, we have been following COVID-19 guidelines and maintaining 6 feet or more distance when we run.” says Lynam. Carter adds, “We wear masks while we run now.”

Students interested in joining Run GFU can contact Keoni at klynam17@georgefox.edu or Molly at mcarter17@georgefox.edu. Their Instagram is @run_gfu.