Overall a physically active school, the University has a large population of runners. At any given time, the streets are filled with joggers.
Track and Field coach Randy Bungard said the University's population, in terms of its recreational activity, is "one of the best in the country."
"I've never been anywhere where running and fitness is such a big priority," Bungard said.
The reasons students stay physically active range widely.
"[Running] is an easy way to relieve stress," second-year Nursing student Jenna Centini said. "It lets me get away from my classes for a while before I start my homework, and it makes me feel good after I come in from my run."
Centini said she prefers running outside to going to the gym.
"Sometimes there are such long lines at the AFC to even get a machine," Centini said.
While Centini enjoys running because of its mental health benefits, Bungard said he thinks the number one motivation to run among college students is "to keep fit, to lose weight."
"The big reason people run is vanity," Bungard said.
The commitment runners have comes in part from the physiological effects of running. The use of the term "runner's high" became widespread in the 1970s after Jim Fixx wrote about it in his book "The Complete Book on Running." As a result of rising endorphin levels, many runners experience a euphoric state after an extended run.
"You really start to look forward to [the runner's high] and the feeling you have after it," Bungard said.
Not only is it addicting because of "runner's high," but once you start to see results, you want to do it more and more, he added.
"The better shape you get in, the more you start craving it," Bungard said. In the long run, runners gain stamina and muscle strength and can lose weight.
It's like "putting money in the bank," Bungard said. "You know that you're taking care of yourself."
While many are devoted to running for recreational purposes, it also can be an extremely competitive sport.
Second-year Nursing student Leah Welbourn is training for the upcoming Chicago Marathon, one of the biggest marathons in the country. She plans to run the 26.2-mile course with her dad over Fall Break.
Welbourn has been training for four months, running four times a week.
"It's definitely one of my life goals," she said. "When I finish, it's going to be the best feeling, especially since I've been training so hard."
Welbourn said she thinks running will be a lifelong passion. She describes it as "peaceful," a time when she can get away from everything else in her life.
She said she is addicted to running. "If I don't run for two days, I just feel awful," Welbourn said.
Ragged Mountain Running shop on the Corner has been witness to the various running trends over the last 23 years.
Co-owner Mark Lorenzoni said the most stunning change in running over the past few decades is the increase in the number of female runners. When the store opened in 1982, 70 to 75 percent of runners were male. Now, between 50 and 55 percent of runners are female.
"It's a lifestyle shift," Lorenzoni said.
He attributed the popularity of running to the fact that it is easily accessible, inexpensive and offers flexibility in one's schedule.
Today, Americans are running three to four days a week, averaging about 10 to 15 miles per week, he said. Running for 45 minutes burns more calories than any other sport, he added.
Lorenzoni stressed the importance of having the proper gear, particularly footwear. The store carries a range of about 50 to 60 varying styles from 9 different brands for men and women.
Lorenzoni recommended runners replace their shoes after 400 miles of use.
As shoe technology has become more advanced, prices have risen. While the average running shoe in 1982 cost $35, it costs between $80 and $85 today.
The customers have become more aware of the technology and are no longer looking for an attractive shoe, but rather one that satisfies their particular running needs, Lorenzoni said.
"The biggest change in U.Va. students is that they come into the store now and actually want technical advice," he said.
There are 48 races each year in Charlottesville, and Lorenzoni estimated that over the last 20 years, the races have raised over $2 million for various charities. University student races raise approximately $15,000 to $25,000 per year.
The number of participants in these races has increased dramatically. In 1982, the 10-miler had 400 runners. Now, roughly 2,000 people participate.
Besides frequent races, local runners also are blessed to have the Rivanna trail, a 20-mile trail that extends almost completely around Charlottesville.
"I don't like to run on the street anymore because the Rivanna trail has spoiled me," said Bungard, noting the beautiful scenery along the trail. Recreational runners as well as members of the track and field team are guaranteed to be on the trail at any given time of the day.
Read More
U.Va. students and physicians team up for another year of free kidney screenings
By Merrill Hart | November 5, 2024Saturday’s screening marked the first by KDSAP at Portico Church, near IX Art Park.
U.Va. Health sees a spike in COVID-19 cases
By Emily Horn | September 4, 2023U.Va. Health ended their vaccination requirements in August, and masks were made optional in most hospital areas in early April.
U.Va. Cancer Center harnesses $12 million grant to support opportunities for undergraduates, ongoing research and new center
By Ellen Wu | January 12, 2023The grant provides an opportunity to establish the Center for Systems Analysis of Stress-Adapted Cancer Organelles, which seeks to find the cause of cancer in individual organelles.
