A solution has finally arrived for University of Oregon students struggling to stay active in the brisk fall season. Healthy Oregon, an initiative program on campus supporting a healthy lifestyle, is hosting their fifth 5k race: Run with the Duck.
On Nov. 9 at 9 a.m., students, faculty and staff members can all join The Duck to run, jog or walk a 5k around Hayward Field. The event is designed specifically to cater to all levels of physical activity and to simply encourage getting outside and moving.
According to Marci Torres, the director of the Health Campus Initiative, when the event was first created 30 people from across campus came together with a gift that would fund the health initiative for five years. The initiative for Health Campus focuses on nutrition, physical activity and stress management for students.
“To kick the initiative off, we did a run to help increase participation and we have grown from about 30 people to about 500 people who participate in it,” Torres said. “It encourages people to be active whether they walk, run, whatever it is and come and be social and just enjoy being outside and being active.”
Healthy Oregon is self-proclaimed to be campus-wide and to see how the infrastructure of the UO and the environment on campus can support healthy behaviors daily. The initiative supports anything from physical health, mental health, spiritual health, cultural health — anything and everything.
“We are trying to set the example for other universities across the country on how to be healthier and how to be in an environment that supports healthy behavior,” Torres said.
Now there is a training program prior to the run that uses a combination of weekly training sessions to help participants get in shape and train for the event. The program is designed to cater to each participant’s skill level, meaning that participants could train to walk, jog or run. The training program and the run is free for university students, faculty and staff.
“I am volunteering for Run with the Duck because I think that health and fitness can be really positive ways of reducing stress in our lives,” volunteer Elizabeth Cantor said. “I love volunteering at races, period. It’s so cool to see finishers, especially those who have never run before, accomplish something that they may not have thought possible. That’s what I’m excited for about this weekend!”
Volunteer and undergraduate at the UO Amber Goldstein explained that this event is also a great way to give back to the community.
“I am volunteering for the run because I have a passion for fitness and I want to share that passion with others hoping that I can change people’s lives.”