The slim alleyways looming over either side of Wofford’s repurposed basketball arena are where the majority of Wofford students find themselves when seeking a sweat. The dual platforms contain the college’s minimal collection of workout machines and equipment, along with a birds-eye view of the intramural activities that take place on the courts below.
As a proud hobby runner, there are cold mornings and windy afternoons where I find myself hogging one of the seven or so active treadmill machines. However, sometimes the only cardio session one receives during a trip to Wofford’s quaint little gym is through a frustrated and desperate battle with the buttons on the two treadmills that are persistently out of order.
In the past year or two, running popularity has seemingly increased by tenfold. Every influencer you follow is sponsored to run an exotic marathon, selling you watches and headphones and shorts and shoes and even an app to guide what could be your new hobby. The hallmark statistic of runners worldwide used to be that less than 1% of the world’s population has ever completed a marathon. However, recently it seems that we’re all within one degree of separation to someone lacing up their shoes to conquer the infamous 26.2.
With this cultural craze has come a rebrand of an often-dreaded form of exercise. Across many young cities, run clubs have become the new way to mingle, advertising themselves across social media and collaborating with various brands. Local running routes are also busier than ever. Spartanburg’s Mary Black Rail Trail, now surrounded by a cluster of new development, finds itself with ever increasing foot traffic attributable to Spartanburg’s growth and the exercise habits these newcomers bring.
The best part about running as a hobby, in my opinion, is its convenience. One can run almost anywhere. But is this true for Spartanburg and Wofford?
Although home to Division 1 track and cross country teams, Wofford is uniquely lacking in an appropriately-standardized track. This leads our athletes to outsource their workouts to nearby tracks, a seemingly undesirable but workable solution.
For the rest of the student body, there exists a small campus, one or two unique running routes downtown, and a treadmill shortage. While these attributes are immutable facts given our location and just make jogging a little repetitive, the organization of the campus gym seems to be within someone’s control.
Burdened by physical space and the high cost of the machines, I can understand why our gym has only several treadmills. However, one will pass a horde of underutilized ellipticals on their way to the dwindling treadmill arsenal. Would it be so bold to switch a few around?
Of course, I am my own devil’s advocate. Weather willing, why not run outside? I cannot begin to explain my own irrational and mood-dependent preferences for the treadmill. Despite this argument, my question still remains if the number of machines is proportional to the growing cardio habits among our student body, to which I believe the answer to be no.
Asking students to be a little patient and wait for treadmill availability seems far from unreasonable. However, the time of Wofford students is precious. Many already whip out books and study guides on treadmills. The time-exercise trade-off is a little too costly with so few usable machines. The gym should eagerly adapt to healthy student habits to ensure that the running craze sustains itself and is more than just a fleeting trend on our campus.
