Welcome to the Dallas Running Club!

You may not know it yet, but you have made a great decision, one that I made 8 years ago and has changed my life! I wasn’t always a runner, I didn’t run track or cross country in high school. As a matter of fact, I played football (we’re in Texas after all!) yet couldn’t run more than a couple of blocks without getting winded. I preferred the weight room to cardio any day of the week. Although I never had much experience with running, I always admired how strong and fit they seemed as I would sometimes see them running down the sidewalk. It wasn’t until after college that I found myself re-examing my physical situation. I knew I needed to lose some weight and I vaguely remembered how amazing it felt to feel like an athlete back in high school.

I felt this way for many months, but one day I said to myself enough is enough! The very next morning I started by running a mile around my neighborhood. It was summer of course and I was dying, and it took everything I had just to keep moving forward., but I had survived! I continued to run that same route every day for the next month and started to feel more alive than I had felt in years. At this point I had begun to create a habit but believe me being out there alone was tough, only my thoughts to keep me distracted.

This is where things changed…One day while casually surfing the internet for the latest updates in my new-found hobby as a runner, I stumbled upon the Dallas Running Club. Really? A Club focused on running and in my very own city? Who knew this type of thing existed? I quickly navigated the site and registered for the upcoming Fall training program. 

Fast forward 8 years…I have run countless DRC races, pace lead for several half and full marathon groups, served on the board as the Treasurer and now the President of the Club. In addition to my involvement in the club, I also met many life-long friends. Joining the club and training program really pulled me out of my shell and forced me to meet new people on a frequent basis. Two years into the program I had lost over 50 lbs. and acquired a new and exciting sense of confidence.

The DRC is more than group of runners getting together to race or train, it is truly a family that one chooses to be a part of. I like to share my story because I believe it give others some insight into the vision I have for the club and some background for some of the decisions we make. Like most things in life, you will get what you put in, and the club is not any different. The reason the club has existed for 50 years is because of passionate volunteers who give of their time.

My recommendation: Join the Dallas Running Club, volunteer at our events and training, put in the effort and get to know your over 2,000 fellow runners in the club; and I assure you it will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made!

Alex Delacruz

President