Society Spotlight: UC Stars Run club

By Marissa Catanzariti

The UC Stars Run club was founded in semester two of 2024 by Lachie Wei and Jackie Snowball. The club began with the intention to boost the on-campus experience and create a welcoming and fun environment for all to join. The run club is a great opportunity for all students, staff members, especially first year and international students who may not know many others on campus, to connect and meet new people while getting in some morning fresh air in an exciting and welcoming environment.  

The club is relatively new and encourages students to prioritise their health during the semester. They promote the importance of outdoor time and moving your body. Whether you have an interest in fitness, want to meet new people, or are just looking for extra encouragement and motivation, UC Run club is the perfect opportunity for all or any. 

UC Run club meet up twice each week, on Tuesdays at 7am, and Thursday 8:30am. On both days it is completely free and open for anyone to join, they meet at The Coffee Grounds (underneath cooper lodge), participants are also invited to either walk or run. 

On Tuesday’s all members can enjoy free coffee as part of the club. 

Membership is a one-time annual fee of just $5 which also includes ongoing free coffees on Tuesdays, exclusive discounts and access to all run club events. 

On Thursday mornings anyone is welcome to join the run and enjoy a free coffee, this is sponsored by their collaboration with ‘Run for Resilience’, an organisation which aims to be suicide free in Canberra by the year of 2033. This collaboration has been an amazing opportunity for the Run Club as mental health awareness has been an ongoing focus for them. Lachie and Jackie want to be another support system for those who may be struggling and encourage students to reach out. They want students to have an external space for exercise and be welcomed by a supportive and positive space. Since starting the club, they have grown a large community of over 120 members.  

Over the last year the run club has collaborated with different organisations and clubs, and participated in many social events, this has boosted their community and given participants many exciting opportunities. These events have often included free giveaways, discounts to members, prizes, new running trails and the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals.  

While always looking for new opportunities, the club currently have some ongoing collaborations, which include:  

Their new partnership with the sporting brand LSKD, which will continue to involve future sporting events and gatherings, clothing discounts and giveaways for all members.  

Their recent collaboration with Off the Grid Girls, a women led outdoor adventure club. This collaboration involves a monthly trail run to add some variety to their usual running course and is open for anyone to join.  

And their ongoing partnership with Uni Lodge, who help support some of UC Run Clubs Tuesday runs and help to promote more members on campus to become involved. 

UC Run Club won best sporting club last year and hope to win this title two years in a row. They are excited to continue growing their community and have many goals and opportunities going forward. Such as branded merchandise expected to be arriving soon, fun social events for participants to attend and the continuation of collaborations and further sponsorships.  

The founders, Lachie and Jackie, want to promote the accessibility of running for everyone, it’s easy to get into and you don’t need to be competitive or even a regular runner to join the club. This is a fun and social environment where there are both walkers and runners. Whether you are running for the very first time or want to track your progress and improve your running ability, the run club is a fun and inviting community for all. 

If you are interested in having an executive role with the run club, they are always looking for people and new members to join, this is a really great opportunity and qualification to have on your resume.  

Check out their social media @uc_runclub, to find out any further information, keep up with events and to get an annual membership.