At 5:30 or 6 a.m. on any given morning, Tuesday through Friday, a group of runners congregate in Belmont Center, or Waverly Square or Cushing Square for a group run.
Athletes ranging from 20 to 60 of all abilities meet to start their day with Coogee Groups, an organization offering organized runs in Belmont led by resident Roger Hauck. It’s part of a global trend. According to Strava’s Year in Sport Report, run club participation grew by 59% worldwide over a two-year period.
“Running is really accessible to most people, you just need a pair of shoes,” said Hauck, 22, a 2022 Belmont High School graduate. “Low equipment cost, not a lot of barriers to entry, and it’s pretty popular around here.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst this spring, where he participated in club water polo, the triathlon club, and a student meditation group, he moved back to town.
While Hauck’s running groups represent local neighborhoods, the inspiration for them comes from across the globe. In the spring, Hauck spent a semester studying abroad in Sydney, Australia. There, he met a group that met at 8 a.m. for a 1 to 2 mile open water swim. He cherished connecting with swimmers of all ages in the water and for post-swim coffee and wanted to start something similar in his hometown.
“I was really inspired by them and wanted to bring that kind of group exercise back home,” said Hauck, an emergency medical technician, who is in the process of applying to medical school. “I have some time to do this project and wanted to spark some community.”
As of the Sept. 15 start date, the Belmont group run schedule:
- Belmont Center: Wednesdays and Fridays at 5:30 a.m. outside Quebrada
- Waverley Square: Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 a.m. outside Dunkin’ (Church Street)
- Cushing Square: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 a.m. outside Starbucks
So far, about four runners have come each time. They set an 11 to 13 minute mile pace for two to four miles. The Cushing Square group draws the most participants so far. With groups meeting in Belmont Center and Waverley Square on the same day, Hauck makes them as hyper-local as possible. He hopes participants can get to a run club without having to drive.
Coogee Groups is not the only run club in town. The Belmont Track Club meets every Tuesday and Thursday morning at the Belmont High School track. Somerville Road Runners’ Wednesday evening run sometimes crosses into Belmont. And on occasion, the Trail Animals Running Club spends an occasional Saturday morning traversing Beaver Brook and other trails.
Those interested in joining the group should fill out the formon the Coogee (pronounced could-gee) Groups website. There’s no cost to participate. Hauck only collects information for contact, availability, and potential leaders by location.
Hauck hopes to expand to Arlington in the coming weeks and Lexington at a future date.
“As you go into the city more, there’re a lot more groups who are young professionals and younger people,” Hauck said. “I feel like for the people out here, they’re working and want a group that meets in the mornings and can fit it in before work… and I want to help them create that.”
