For students enrolled in summer classes, there are limited opportunities to be involved on campus. However, the Running Club at UCI is available year-round for students to participate in.
Runners typically do quick stretches before and after their runs; during summer, practices take place in front of the Anteater Recreation Center (ARC) every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m.
Their practice runs alternate routes on campus from day to day. They vary from short-distance to long-distance running. Short-distance running practices typically range from two to four miles, while long-distance runs range from five to seven miles.
Running Club vice president of marketing and second-year psychology major Lori Nishiguchi did track and field for four years in high school and competed in cross country for two seasons. She was inspired to continue running at UCI, where she found another community in this club.
“[E]ven if you take a little break, all of a sudden you’re back at square one, but I think, at the end of the day, the friendships are truly what keep me going,” Nishiguchi told New University.
The club hosts off-campus runs where runners carpool to different locations, including University High School, to do track runs. Running club member and second-year physics major Benny Tsabba enjoys his running experience at Back Bay in Newport Beach, Calif.
“It’s really nice to, you know, drive somewhere and talk in the car with people and then just, like, go run along the water,” Tsabba told New University.
The club also offers competitions for runners off campus, which are optional for club members to participate in. With road and track routes, the competitions are often city races ranging from 5K and 10Ks to half marathons.
Runners have competed at Mt. San Antonio College, referred to as Mt. SAC. Another competition, Irvine Dream Run, is located at Great Park, where participants can run a 3K or 5K.
The Running Club is preparing for the National Intercollegiate Running Club Association (NIRCA), a regional running competition in October featuring running clubs from other universities.
Running Club vice president of competitions and fourth-year civil engineering major Marissa Amaya has been running since elementary school. She shared that the NIRCA competition was a memorable experience in the club, which got her into more races.
“NIRCA? Like, that’s a cool experience traveling to the Bay Area, and just connecting to the people,” Amaya told New University.
Though summer practices are in session, the running club is also available when more students are on campus, where they meet every weekday at 4 p.m. None of their practices are mandatory.
Nishiguchi recalls her first day in the running club, where she felt nervous about runners being faster or having more experience than her.
“I think the first day is when I met people who, whether I knew it or not, at the time, truly had a lot more in common with me than I realized,” Nishiguchi said.
No prior running experience is required to join the club. The club strives to bring together students with different backgrounds and ages.
“It’s taught me that you’re truly never alone in anything,” Nishiguchi said. “[Y]ou find the opportunity to chat with whoever you’re running with.”
Students interested in joining the running club can visit their Instagram account or their website; they also post regularly on Strava before their practice times.
Melody Liao is a Features Intern for the summer 2026 quarter. She can be reached at liaome@uci.edu.
Edited by Avery Rosas and Elizabeth Gregg.
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