Prince George’s Running Club meets on Tuesdays at Kehoe Track by Ludwig Field.
The Prince George’s Running Club is looking to do more than keep its members fit through its running programs. It wants to form a relationship between this university and the community.
Though the club was created two decades ago and has hosted events in College Park, its upcoming North College Park Mother’s Day 5K run is the first of its kind, as the club seeks to further expand in the College Park area and increase the number of students involved.
The Mother’s Day 5K was the brainchild of College Park resident Mark Shroder, said Lydia Shell, the PGRC president. It is set to start and finish at the Hollywood Shopping Center on May 11 and will feature prizes from outdoor gear and clothing store REI.
The club, like the Mother’s Day 5K, is open to runners of every skill level, Shell said, and includes training programs for a range of runners, from beginners interested in running their first 5K to marathoners trying to stay in shape.
“What we pride ourselves on is being a community of people that encourages people to start running, no matter what the distance and no matter what the goal,” Shell said. “They just have to have a love to run or want a love to run.”
The club already has strong ties to the city and hopes to encourage more students to join the club.
“We try to be a resource the community can tap to run together,” Shell said. “We do time intervals on the UMD track every Tuesday night. We already have some students in the club, most of whom are grad students — our outgoing vice president was a [graduate] student — and we’d love to have more.”
Rebecca Sachs, a member of local running clubs Terp Runners and Howard County Striders, said she would be interested in joining PGRC to expand her options.
“My mom has always been a runner, so I’ve just found that I’m passionate about it because I’m really close with her and it makes me feel strong,” said the freshman sociology major. “Another group in the area would be good because I’m trying to train for a marathon, and Terp Runners doesn’t really include that.”
Kelsey Cardace, a freshman journalism major, has a different reason to join.
“It would be great to get more involved in the community,” Cardace said. “[The club] would be a good way to bring everyone together, especially if it’s for all levels.”
Sharon Desmond, a behavioral and community health department professor, said the club serves a greater purpose than keeping members in shape.
“This club is developing a partnership between students and residents,” Desmond said. “By engaging in a healthy activity together, members are forming relationships so the community doesn’t feel like, ‘You’re here, but you’re not a part of us.’ Everyone will get to know each other better, so if there’s ever an issue or problem, it’ll be easier to work together — it’s great.”
