_Everyone knows about Missouri’s Division I sports teams. Fans pack the stadiums for those athletic events, but there are a number of other teams on Mizzou’s campus that aren’t under the NCAA jurisdiction. There are 49 club sports teams at Mizzou, and every week The Maneater will highlight one of them. Up first: The Running Club._
“We’re a group of both casual and competitive runners,” club President Hannah McCausland said. “We meet everyday, and we just go on normal runs and workouts depending on what people like. We have those competitive people as well as people who are just starting to run. All different skill levels and all different experiences, paces, so it’s really what you want to make of the club.”
Starting Sept. 10, the Mizzou Running Club will begin their fall season with a race in St. Louis. After the race in St. Louis, they will be traveling to three other states for races. They have meets scheduled across the state and the country.
The Tigers started their last season with a 5K race at Forest Park in St. Louis with now-senior Tyler Culp finishing seventh overall with a time of 17:37, and now-junior Caitlin Hammons finishing as the top female finisher with a time of 19:54.
The Southern Stampede in Joplin, Missouri, is new to the schedule this season and has replaced the Gary Stoner Invitational in Fayette, Missouri. The Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival race is back again this year and follows the Southern Stampede. The Roots N Blues race will be the only 10K/half-marathon the Tigers compete in all season.
A race in Ettrick, Wisconsin; regionals in Ames, Iowa; and nationals in Hershey, Pennsylvania, highlight the season for the Tigers, as they get a lot of traveling done in a matter of a couple of weeks.
“Nationals is definitely the most competitive race of the year,” Hammons said. “There are a lot of girls there, and I’m hoping to place in the top 15 again this year and make the All-American team because that’s just really cool.”
Five women and six men competed for the Tigers last year at nationals in Lexington, Kentucky. From that meet, Hammons is the top returning woman for the Tigers, and for the men, Culp is the fastest returner.
**How do people join?**
To join, all you have to do is to show up at practice, at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at Stankowski Field, and fill out some forms. If you want to be a part of the Running Club long-term, you will have to pay a $30 fee.
**Contact information**
If you wish to get in contact with the Running Club, email mizzourunningclub@gmail.com for general questions or send specific questions to one of the following:
**Hannah McCausland, President:** hjm2p3@mail.missouri.edu
**Lily Cusack, Vice President:** lmcmr6@mail.missouri.edu
**Justin Lehn, Men’s Workout Coordinator:** jml4k2@mail.missouri.edu
**Caitlin Hammons, Women’s Workout Coordinator:** cbhqn8@mail.missouri.edu
_Edited by Theo DeRosa | tderosa@themaneater.com_
