If you decide to get up bright and early at 6:30 a.m. during the week and walk the bike path or nearby trails, you may run into the Smith College Intercollegiate Running Club (SMIRC) getting in their morning practice before classes.
The Smith Run Club has two branches: Fun Run and Smith College Intercollegiate Running Club (SMIRC). This allows for a diverse group of members ranging from beginner or casual runners to runners who are more serious about competing or who have a history of running Cross Country or Track. SMIRC doesn’t have time requirements, but they do have a “trial week” where prospective members go through a week of SMIRC practices to make sure they are ready to commit to the team. Fun Run has no qualifications to join and has a wider variety of commitment levels.
The Fun Run branch meets twice a week for two group runs: one leaving from campus and another one leaving from Marathon Sports downtown, in collaboration with their local run club. SMIRC meets six days a week in their more rigorous schedule which includes lifts, long runs and races in their training; they even compete against other local collegiate clubs including Harvard University, Northeastern University and UMass Amherst. The branches have different leadership and members, but both attend the downtown run from Marathon Sports, giving the branches a chance to catch up and run together.
SMIRC has a board of five members that keep the program going and organize everything from outreach to training program structure and entering races and community events. President Olivia Kraft ’25 founded the club and has been one of the main reasons SMIRC has been able to compete in many club team competitions and nearby community races.
Competing in club team competitions and races has been difficult as a club team, as they do not have the same access to resources and financial help as a varsity team. Kraft stated, “I think the biggest struggle is logistics. Race registration, transportation and accounting — a lot of things could go wrong. Our E (executive)-board works really well together to make events happen smoothly though!”
The club has had a busy start to the semester. On Oct. 13, the club hosted a faculty run to connect with the broader Smith community. While only one brave professor showed face, the board was very excited about the event and is hoping that the trend catches on in future years, so the club can not only provide the joy of exercise and community for students, but for faculty as well.
Many of the members also competed in Florence’s Happy Valley Half Marathon and 5k on Oct. 15. Out of the 19 SMIRC members, 14 competed in the half with a few competing in the 5k as well. Kraft commented on the exciting nature of this event and how it makes her hopeful for the future of the club, “For many of us, the 2023 Happy Valley Half Marathon was a debut to running Half Marathons. The weather was great, and the scenery was beautiful. Overall, the race was a big success. Many members were able to get personal records, which served as reassurance that our training is working, and that the work we put into running over the summer, paid off.” Their next chance to tackle this distance is scheduled for April 14, 2024 with the Fort Hill Brewery Half Marathon in Easthampton, MA.
Participating in these community events is a huge part of the club’s mission. Kraft commented that, “engaging with the Northampton community is not only a great way to get out of campus, but it’s also a great way to blend Smithies with the people who actually live and build their lives here. You get to meet new people, push yourself harder and explore more of the area that you probably wouldn’t have without these events.”
The club even finds ways to give back to the community through initiatives like volunteer coaching Girls On The Run, a nonprofit organization that encourages young girls to get involved in the sport in a low stress environment. Kraft said the work is uplifting and “lets our club interact with younger runners, while joining the Marathon Sports club run lets us interact with older runners, sometimes even our professors! You get a sense that you can run for a lifetime, even beyond this club, which I feel enhances the experience and makes it welcoming and encouraging for all.”
Aside from community projects, the club has big athletic goals for their upcoming racing seasons, and has a strict training schedule to prepare. Nadira Talayee ’26 serves as SMIRC’s training coordinator and has created a six day per week schedule that includes lifting, long runs, workouts on the track, and one cross train day where members bike to get some cardio in without the hard impact on their legs. Kraft attributes their success to the members’ dedication to this plan and a lot of hard work over the summer.
When asked about future goals for the club, Kraft said simply, “to continue to be the close-knit and supportive community it is now.” As the club is building, they are “taking turns leading practices, training hard and are getting big PRs (personal records).” During the fall, the club competes in more long distance events, with members training for distances ranging from the 5k to a 50k and everywhere in between. For the spring season, they will focus more on collegiate club track meets, and even have a few members interested in trying some field events in addition to racing.
However, in the long term, the team hopes to broaden their horizons beyond local competitions. Kraft stated, “The National Intercollegiate Running Club Association (NIRCA) holds regionals and nationals that a lot of school’s club teams from across the country participate in. It would be really exciting to have a group of Smithies compete there one day!”
