Claire Smout

Running their warm-up lap, sophomore Laura Rein, senior Jane Fuller, junior Natalie Butler and junior Chloe Hershenow get ready to hit the roads. After warm-up girls split into groups and completed their workout. “Winter running helps motivate me to run on the coldest days because I know I will have these girls by my side to do it with,” Hershenow said.

As the temperatures drop, students spend less time participating in outdoor sports. But for the members of the Girls Winter Running Club, even freezing temperatures do not keep them inside.

“I decided to join winter running so that I could stay in touch with my teammates after the cross country season. My favorite part is just catching up with my running group while we’re running,” senior Sophia Malpocker said.

The club meets two to three times a week in Charlie Cutelli’s room at 2:45 p.m. The runners warm up and then go on a run of anywhere between 20 to 50 minutes.

“Really it is a matter of getting students moving. Winter tends to be a time when we go indoors and hibernate,” Cutelli said. “Staying healthy through exercise is something that should be done year round.”

When it is cold and it is hard to get out the door, members lean on each other for motivation.

“My favorite part of winter running is the girls and all their great attitudes about just getting out there on the roads even in the off season,” junior Chloe Hershenow said. “It’s often easy to just want to go home and lay in your warm bed, but it is a much better feeling to lay in that warm bed after a good, cold, long run with your friends.”

On Jan. 13, members competed in the Frostbite series 5K in Forest Park.

“My goal was just to have fun and run even paces. I ran a consistent pace of 6:40 minutes per mile and got to kick it out at the finish with a 12-year-old, which was pretty fun,” senior Emily Dickson said.

Besides training for the 5K, Winter Running Club also is an opportunity for athletes to prepare for spring sports.

“For the cross country and track athletes working year round, it is a must if they want to be at their best. It is great at preparing a base for spring sports, and it is a lot easier to run in 20 degree weather when you have friends to do it with,” Cutelli said.  

Whether it is preparing for track, training for the GO! Saint Louis half marathon or just staying in shape, Winter Running Club helps athletes work towards their goals.

“I would encourage others to do winter running because it is just a great, nice group of girls who are motivated during the cold winter to keep pushing themselves,” Hershenow said. “There is no certain skill level required. There is always someone to run with.”