The first meeting of the new running club will be held on Monday, Oct. 22, at 3:15 p.m. The club is another addition to what Professor of Sports Studies Bill Lundberg hopes will be an increase in activity at Hayden Park.
“It’s a great site. It’s a beautiful and natural plot of land that we designed a cross country course on two years ago,” Lundberg said. “Designing that course was exciting. There hadn’t been anything there before.”
The park was dedicated on Oct. 7 of last year during homecoming. In addition to the three running routes of varying lengths, it is now also home to a mountain bike trail with eight bikes and helmets available to rent at the clubhouse. In the winter, students and faculty can use the trails for cross-country skiing.
“We try to do anything that we can to promote a beautiful setting of facilities that are a little bit, but not too far, removed from the campus. We’re just up the hill another way,” Lundberg said.
Lundberg said he feels blessed to be able to pursue his lifelong passion of “care for the heart, mind, and soul.” He has always enjoyed cardio workouts and began running his senior year of high school. After participating in two Olympic trials and serving the sports department at Hillsdale since 1985, Lundberg hopes to pass his excitement on to students and staff by way of increased activities in Hayden Park.
When he retired from the position of head coach of the cross country team, Lundberg was able to focus on teaching and being the director of activities for Hayden Park.
His hope is that the park can become a place for both staff and students to build relationships outside of the classroom. The running club provides this opportunity, involving walkers, joggers, and runners that can choose how far they wish to go in their exercise.
The group will meet every Monday and Wednesday at 3:15 p.m., all runs beginning at the Hayden Park Clubhouse. Lundberg is more than happy to answer any questions about the new club or the park in general.