With sunny skies, the opportunity for longer, more relaxing strides is in the cards with the Little Apple Run Club. Bringing community members together, the club meets in various places around Manhattan every Monday at 5:30 p.m., and tends to run between three and five miles.
Graduating from Kansas State in 2022, Levi Van Hoecke has stayed in the area and serves as president of the Little Apple Run Club. The club has a variety of fitness levels among members, ensuring newcomers aren’t intimidated when joining.
“We run a variety of paces so no one gets left behind,” Van Hoecke said. “I would say we are really about the enjoyment of being outside and running more than hitting pace benchmarks.”
Since the first meeting, the group has continued to grow, with a new runner joining every couple of weeks.
“With the weather warming up, we hope to host a few unique runs, such as a scavenger hunt week, trash pickup competition and a run out at Tuttle that ends with a dunk in the lake,” he said.
Van Hoecke has made many friendships since joining and hopes that others are as impacted by this community as he is.
Members of the club come from all different parts of Manhattan. Katrina Sellers does not attend K-State and is currently the only member who runs with a child. Sellers enjoys the running club because the people are super friendly and welcoming, creating a team feeling, she said.
“When we have new people, Levi will start us in a circle and go over names, then the route we’ll be taking,” Sellers said. “Because I run with my child, I’m normally in the back of the pack. Several of the guys have slowed their own pace to stay with me to chat.”
Sellers has made many connections through the Little Apple Run Club, and she believes the friendships made help the club’s retention rate. These connections, however, don’t just stay within the club.
“A lot of us are connected through Strava, which is fun to see what everyone’s up to,” she said. “I work at the farmers’ markets Saturday mornings, and many of the members will come by and support my small business or just say hi, which makes me feel so included.”
Since joining the club, Sellers said it has not only helped her physical health but also her mental health.
“Running helps me to stay out of my head so much, but I’m a talker, so having a group/buddy is best for me mentally,” she said. “Physically it’s been great, I feel like I’ve been more consistent with running in general. Being on Mondays, it starts my weeks out on a positive note. I have also gotten a lot faster running with the group, mostly trying to keep up but on my own terms, never forced.”
The group’s next meet-up will be on March 16. The running club also posts their meeting locations on their Instagram: @littleapplerunclub.
