The Husky Run and Ruck, hosted by University of Connecticut Recreation, is expected to take place Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8:30 a.m., the weekend preceding Veterans Day. Students, faculty and community members will gather by the Recreation Center and participate in the run, honoring former Navy SEAL and UConn track and field athlete, Kyle Milliken, who passed away in 2017.
The Run and Ruck will feature options for everyone, from seasoned runners to those just starting out, according to the event website. A 5K run, 10K run and a one-mile fitness walk will take place that Sunday morning. Participants can choose to “ruck” the race by wearing weighted vests or backpacks that are a minimum of 10 pounds to mimic how veterans train for active service.
The race took place for the first time last year, where it reached maximum capacity with over 800 participants. It was such a success, according to the assistant program director of group exercise and training, Jennifer Clark, that UConn Recreation has increased the event’s races capacity, now accepting 1,000 runners.
Leading up to the race, UConn Recreation hosts a training program for the Run and Ruck called Road Dogs. Clark oversees the Road Dogs training team. Beginning in mid-September and lasting eight weeks, the group running program aims to help UConn students, staff and local community members work towards their race day goals, according to the UConn Recreation website. Over the course of the eight weeks, the trainees collectively work toward adding mileage and gaining speed, according to Clark.
“We train specifically for the Run and Ruck; its progressive training mileage, and people that come are training either for the 5K or the 10K,” said Clark. “We meet weekly on Saturdays, and we have some weekday meetups that our participants come to, and that mileage can range anywhere between two to four miles.”
Each run hosted by the Road Dogs training program is led by run leaders who serve as UConn Recreation student employees. Clark said she was impressed by how many of the Road Dogs’ run leaders and participants performed on race day last year.
“Last year, we had a lot of people placed in their age groups and that was really nice to see,” said Clark.