“I run to explore my limits while exploring new places. Running is a source of joy and reflection and one of my most frequently used coping mechanisms.“

“Rose City was one of the first names that stood out as I looked through a list of local clubs. As I read through the athlete profiles and team website I got the impression that the club would be a fun and inspiring group of folks to surround myself with.”

“I’ve been running for many years and have met some of my best friends through the running community. I very much value the camaraderie of a running group and look forward to runs with many of my teammates in the future!”

“RCTC encouragement and accountability made an immediate positive impact for me in what was my first training cycle with real injury challenges. This group is kind, and thoughtful, but also gets down to business when it counts.“

“I chose this club because it has a competitive group of people and also individuals who race the 800 (other clubs ran the mile as their shortest distance). I’m excited to train with people who are faster than me and can push me to reach my time goals.”

“I chose to join RCTC because it seemed like a very positive and welcoming running community. I can’t wait to chase my running goals with the RCTC crew!”

“I knew I wanted to join a run club to help level up my running and find community. Lucky for me, I had friends in high places at RCTC encouraging me to join. “

“It’s been really rewarding to see RCTC grow from an idea to a fully-fledged organization. While running brought our team together, I think what many of our members share in common is a desire to make a positive impact in our community and strive to make our sport more accessible to all.”

“The Rose City community is unique–it’s pretty cool to be welcoming to beginner runners but also support a number of women chasing the OTQ standard. I feel lucky to be a part of that.”

This week’s runner spotlight features Hope Hill. Hope ran with RCTC pre-pandemic. After training solo for her past marathon, she decided to rejoin the team and train alongside friends. We talked about all sorts of things including motherhood, GF chocolate chip cookies, and training for a sub-2:40 at Eugene!

This week we caught up with Teresa, who recently became a parent! We talked about her return to running, what keeps her motivated, and her new-found love for the stroller run. Check the linktree for the full story!

Meet Stephen, one of our newest teammates. As a teacher and a father, Stephen finds balance and stability through running. We caught up with him to talk about the origins of his love for running, and how running helps him be the best version of himself!

“I often got caught up in the trap of performance and my ego being the only thing that would drive me, often leading to overtraining and injuries. Only recently have I been able to come back to the original reason I started running as a kid in the first place, joy!”

“I’ve been looking for a club to join ever since as I still have some unfinished business I want to accomplish. I also love the community you meet through running. I heard great things about Rose City and thought being part of this team would help me accomplish my goals.”

“I love running because there is always a goal to work towards, and something to motivate me to get outside and move. There’s no better feeling than toeing the line at a race knowing you’ve put in the work and can have confidence in all of your training leading up to the race.”

“I thought the time was wrong haha. I admit I teared up a little bit when I got the little card print out with the official time.”

“The day of the marathon I felt really good and after starting conservatively in the first 5k, I managed to pick up the pace and started hitting negative splits. Throughout the race I felt in control and the splits started getting faster and faster.”

“Any time I am going with a sweet plate for breakfast, I want the drink to balance with some bitterness. I prefer something like a coffee stout and would recommend the Breakside Mexican Coffee stout if you can find it in season. As an unabashed Pabst advocate, I’ll also note that the PBR hard coffee options are great and suitable for a breakfast drink[.]”