When schedules align, the backyard of Ash Meckel, senior economics major, converts into a meeting space for the Beer Run Club, a non-Trinity-affiliated organization. Each time, club members dash a mile loop and reunite afterward for dinner — and beer, for those 21+ — at a local spot, offering a sense of community through shared pastimes along the way, members said.
Meckel founded the Beer Run Club as a junior, inspired by his experience on the Trinity cross country team and his love of beer. He hoped the club would serve as a space to merge fitness and social connection, he said.
“My favorite part is the social opportunity. A lot of people don’t normally — when they work out — talk to each other,” Meckel said. “Just getting to see people on a regular basis and combining that with my day’s workout is my favorite part.”
As of now, Beer Run Club consists of over 60 members. The meet-ups are scheduled based on people’s availability and communicated through a group chat. From there, members meet in Meckel’s backyard, run and end up at a brewery or bar.
Ryan O’Leary, junior business analytics and economics double-major, joined the club after an invite from Meckel. O’Leary, who has participated in one run thus far, said he thinks Beer Run Club is a great place to meet new people.
“It was awesome. It was a group of people who came together with a shared love for running and appreciation for beer,” O’Leary said. “As college students, it’s important to be in shape and make connections with everyone around you, and that’s really what Beer Run Club provides.”
O’Leary said the club is open to runners of all levels. Through this inclusivity, Beer Run Club opens itself up as a space for social opportunity in the midst of an unconventional undertaking.
“For anyone who is a beginner runner like me, it shouldn’t be something that you should be intimidated by or scared to try,” O’Leary said. “It’s really fun, and then afterwards we celebrate the run and enjoy some good beer together.”
Initially, Beer Run Club was comprised of just Meckel’s friends and roommates. As this non-Trinity-affiliated club expands to capture more interested members, Meckel hopes to promote running as its main focus and beer as optional and secondary.
“People should join Beer Run Club whether they like to drink beer or not, because running is something that is a lot of times hard to get into individually and the motivation and social aspect is a great opportunity,” Meckel said. “We welcome anyone and everyone at Beer Run Club.”
Those interested can get in on the fun by following the club instagram, @beer.runclub, and joining their Groupme linked in their instagram bio.
