Before the running starts, there is a routine.
Michigan State Running Club members gather as president Jack Zaske and executive board members deliver announcements. Around them, runners put on their gear, set their watches and talk in groups before heading outside.
Once the announcements end, the crowd begins to separate. The route depends on the day. Runners may take a campus loop that passes areas near the Spartan Statue and IM West, or follow routes along Harrison Road, Trowbridge Road and Grand River Avenue. They split into different paces and distances, some in larger groups and others with only a few people beside them.
Running with others is part of the reason sophomore Caden Amy shows up for the student club.
“I’m gonna be running anyway,” Amy said. “So I might as well come. You know what I mean? I mean, like, if I’m gonna run anyway, you know, why do it the boring way?”
Amy, who is majoring in agribusiness, found Running Club online before arriving at Michigan State from his hometown of Cleveland. His first experience with the organization came through its running camp.
The club has about 200 members, Zaske said. Practices can draw 100 to 150 runners at the beginning of the academic year, while attendance varies throughout the year. Some practices draw about 20 to 25 runners.
Members range from runners with little experience to athletes who have competed at higher levels. MSU Running Club has no cuts and welcomes runners of all experience levels. Members interested in competition can race during the cross-country, indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
Running is not even freshman Jaxon Grubaugh’s primary sport.
Grubaugh, who is double majoring in biochemistry and political science, ran in middle school but did not continue in high school because the running season conflicted with his other sports. At Michigan State, he is a member of the swim club and joined Running Club to use running as conditioning for swimming.
His time with the club has also gone beyond practices.
“I think it’s a really good place to find friends and people that you actually spend time with outside of running,” Grubaugh said.
Members spend time together away from practice through team dinners, tailgates and other social activities.
Finding people to run with, however, is not automatic for everyone.
Running Club does not formally separate members by ability. After announcements, runners find others planning similar paces and distances. Over time, smaller groups can develop as members repeatedly train alongside runners moving at similar speeds. Zaske said newer or slower runners who do not quickly find someone at their pace can end up running alone.
Those groups can change size throughout the academic year. Zaske estimated that about 40% of the club’s members are freshmen and said attendance declines as the year goes on, particularly during the winter. The difference between the large crowds at the beginning of the year and smaller practices later on can change how many runners are available at each pace.
The club’s workouts also bring runners of different abilities together. On workout days, the club uses a loop that lets members running at different speeds start and finish in the same place. Runners can complete the workout at their own speeds without the group having to follow a single pace.
The club’s social environment is one area its leadership is emphasizing this year. Zaske, a senior studying computer science, became president in summer 2026 after serving as vice president of administration.
Much of the nine-member executive board is new this year. Zaske said leadership is emphasizing having board members present at practices as the club moves through the academic year.
“Running by yourself sucks a lot more than running with people,” Zaske said.
Zaske has found friendships outside of running through the club.
“All of my friends now are through it,” he said.
The same group that begins practice together does not necessarily stay together once the run starts. Different distances, abilities and goals can send runners in different directions, but they continue returning to the same place for another practice.
Amy has continued showing up since first joining the club.
“Just show up,” Amy said. “At the end of the day, it’s just running.”