Running With CSU

The running section organizes regular workouts for its members, coordinates team racing activities, and puts on a number of social events throughout the year. For those who are either new to the running scene or the New England area, CSU’s friendly, collegial style fosters an excellent environment in which to meet training partners with similar goals and abilities.

Major CSU Events

CSU sponsors several training and racing activities in conjunction with major running events in the Greater Boston area. Some of the regular features on the CSU calendar include:

• The Soup Run, a pre-Boston Marathon training run and potluck feast
• Awesome on-the-course support for team members running the Boston Marathon
• Thursday evening races at Fresh Pond during the summer. This series of 2.5 and 5 Mile races begins the second or third week of June and continues through the end of August. Races start at 6:30 p.m. on the Huron Ave. side of the Pond.
• Indoor track workouts at the Reggie Lewis Center.
• The Mount Washington Road Race.
• The Fred Brown Relay, an eight person relay race that covers 60+ miles around Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.
• The Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women, one of the largest and most prestigious women-only running events in the country.
• The USATF-NE Grand Prix series of Road Races. The club fields strong teams in the men’s and women’s open, masters, and seniors divisions.
• New England and National cross-country meets.

Coaching and Weekly Workouts

CSU holds weekly track workouts in preparation for major events on the running calendar: road racing and track during the Spring and Summer, cross-country and/or marathons during the Fall, and indoor track during the winter. In addition to track workouts, many smaller informal groups meet regularly around the Boston area for longer runs.

The planning of track workouts is a collaborative effort at CSU. Rather than relying on a single coach for guidance, the team draws on the extensive training experience of the club’s members. All runners are encouraged to suggest workouts that they think would benefit other members of the team. Men’s and women’s team coordinators then integrate these suggestions into several workout options that help structure the track sessions and allow individuals to train with others of similar abilities and with similar training goals. Those runners looking for help with specific training needs will find a wealth of information in the personal experience of other members of the club.

Team Competition

CSU enters women’s and men’s open, masters, and seniors teams in over a dozen major track, road, and cross-country races in New England. The centerpiece of the competitive running is the USATF-NE Grand Prix. In this series of championship events, CSU teams compete against other New England clubs at distances from 5 kilometers to the marathon. At the end of the year, an overall team champion is declared based on team performance in each event.

Social Activities

CSU organizes several social events throughout the year. Some regular fetes that are now CSU traditions include:

• The Soup Run (long, pre-Boston training run)
• BAA Marathon Carbo-Load party
• CSU outing to a Red Sox game at Fenway
• Tour des Glaces (ice cream bike ride)
• Annual Club Recognition Party
• Marathon Training (spring and fall)
• Trail Runs at Walden Pond
• Starbucks Runs
• Lake Winnipesaukee Relay Teams

CSU also sponsors informal get togethers at major racing events where members can cheer each other on and celebrate the team’s racing successes.