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Get Fit and Social with Run/Walk Club

Register for free employee exercise group, which starts March 9

Free circuit training and yoga classes will be offered weekly during the upcoming session of the Run/Walk Club. Photo by Duke Photography.
Free circuit training and yoga classes will be offered weekly during the upcoming session of the Run/Walk Club. Photo by Duke Photography.
Bryan Roth

The recent burst of icy conditions may have you thinking otherwise, but the first official day of spring is less than a month away – and so is the start of Duke’s Run/Walk Club.

Beginning March 9, groups of employees will meet at five locations across Duke's main campuses and health system, where LIVE FOR LIFE coaches will guide faculty and staff through structured workouts catered to all skill and activity levels, from those just starting a walking exercise program up to training for a race.

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Participants in Run/Walk also get bonuses like free, weekly yoga or circuit training classes, fitness and nutrition workshops, weekly emails with tips, motivation and discounts to local stores and the ability to track progress online.

“Being active by running or walking is a great way to manage weight, increase activity and combat stress,” said Katie MacEachern, fitness program manager with LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program. “Our priority is to help employees meet their health and fitness goals, no matter if they’re a new walker or a longtime runner.”

Duke employees can now register and participate in the Run/Walk Club, which meets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at these locations:

  • East Campus wall on Broad Street - walkers and beginning runners
  • West Campus by Al Buehler Trail - advanced runners and walkers

Additional groups meet from 5 to 6 p.m. at Duke Regional and Duke Raleigh hospitals and from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Patient Revenue Management Organization, off South Alston Ave in Durham.

Stephanie Mazzerina, staff assistant with Duke’s Office of Counsel, joined the East Campus Run/Walk group last spring because she was overweight and wasn’t exercising regularly. With a supportive social structure and built-in exercise days each week, she was able to drop 15 pounds over the 12-week program.

“Participating in the program has been an incredible experience for me,” she said. “They taught me everything I needed to know to learn to run without any injuries and I was very impressed with the instructors. I lost weight and went down two sizes.”