The Origin Story

If things went well we could envision the Race Team consisting of roughly a dozen people.  

We could count on a few college teammates, some friends who hadn’t been running much the past few years, and at least one of Bekah’s sisters.  That would be enough to score at the local USATF races, get the name out there on the roads, and provide a reason for us to ratchet up the training.  It’s early 2014 and we order about 20 singlets (an investment for us at the time), let’s see where this goes. 

We mention our new team to customers, and most importantly we let them know it’s all-abilities. You want to run with us? Cool! You’ve got a good attitude? Perfect! Never been in a run club before? We got you!  We end the first year with 35 people who said ‘why not, I’ll give it a try’.  We firmly believe there’s no chance it could ever get bigger than this.  

The next year it grows.  100 runners (OMG).  The year after it multiplies to 200 people (Okay, this is a thing), four years in we’re at 300 people (this is our tribe!). 

Fast forward a few years, we add more.  A kickoff celebration.  End of the year Race Team Prom.  A group training plan.  Not surprisingly 2018 ended with the largest team ever (over 400 teammates at final count). 

As we look back on 2018, we can’t help but smile as we reflect on all the memories made.  It felt like the energy and encouragement was compounded, teammates of all speeds cheering each other on over a variety of distances and surfaces.

The Team has grown every year because runners take a risk.  They say yes to moving outside their comfort zone.  Yes to the Wednesday Workout and pushing themselves harder than they ever could alone. Yes to introducing themselves to a stranger and meeting new friends. 

This should be the year you push aside the ‘am I fast enough’ doubts (you are).  The Race Team standards have nothing to do with time and can be distilled down to ‘I want to challenge myself and have some fun’.  If you run, or would like to and are seeking a group where socializing is often as important as the running, think about joining us in 2019.     

As we close the door on the racing season and gear up for the new year we’re more excited than ever.

-          Bekah & Jeff