We know. We should exercise more for our physical and mental health. 

It’s so easy to put off exercise, whether it’s because we feel like we don’t have time due to workload or social activities, or because we just don’t feel motivated to get up and go. Exercising boosts mental and physical health, improves our productivity, and decreases stress, but it’s still a struggle to get going sometimes. 

That’s why a group of students and staff at the Harquail School of Earth Sciences formed an ad-hoc “Run Club” in September of 2023. They started meeting up at the Willet Green Miller Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays, around 4 p.m., and would just run, for about 30 minutes.

Through a little bit of cajoling and convincing, they would motivate each other to go. Even on rainy days, or when they felt like they didn’t have the energy or time, they would run. PhD student Derek Leung said running with a group has helped him in several ways. “It’s easier to be accountable, and because we’re running together, the pace stays at about a zone 2. We talk a little bit, and for me, running has always been a social thing.”

Laboratory technician Alyne Lalonde has been running with the group as well. “I have never loved running, and I’m not fast, but for me, it’s become almost addictive,” Lalonde said. “It’s a great stress reducer. It’s become like therapy. We joke that we’re running from our problems, but we’re getting space from stress, leaving it behind, and feeling great after.”

Not everyone runs at the same pace, but the group shares their routes and the faster runners wait up for the slower-paced members. Everyone has seen gains. The group started out running 5 kilometres two days a week. In May, Lalonde and Leung challenged themselves by running the 10-kilometre course in the Sudbury Rocks Marathon. Leung was planning to run the ½ marathon distance but was recovering from illness, so he opted to run with Lalonde instead. He still practiced the half-marathon distance, running the Ramsey Lake loop in advance of the race date. It felt so good, that he is now considering registering for a full marathon. Other members, such as the recently graduated Luc Guenette and MSc student Maggie Laverge, have challenged themselves to run marathons this summer. 

“I would never have run distances like this without the Run Club,” Leung said. “I wasn’t motivated to run at all until I started running regularly. It’s amazing how starting with a 5k run twice a week could build into something bigger.” In winter, the Club ran on the Laurentian track if the conditions were too tough outdoors, and they also met up for other activities like indoor rowing or floor hockey. 

Group members, including Maggie Laverge and PhD students Adrian Rehm and Théo Lombard, continued their runs even while on a student field trip in Chile. They recruited others to join them and share in the fun of running on another continent. 

By Laurentian University standards, the Run Club is not an official club, but it reflects the fun and inclusive culture at the Harquail School of Earth Sciences, where students often spend long days at school in labs and classes; they study and share meals together; and help one another out where needed. They plan local and international field trips together, and are very engaged with school, social connections, family, and work. Through the Run Club, students are helping themselves and each other to be physically active and reduce stress. Remember, it begins with just 30 minutes, twice a week. Newcomers are encouraged to give it a try this September. To get started, reach out to Maggie Laverge at mlaverge@laurentian.ca.