ForwardLene, the running club on campus, will meet Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Lunsford Trail zero-mile marker, between Mabee and Barret halls, starting this Sunday after Homecoming. For the remainder of the semester, they will meet at 5:15 p.m. to account for earlier sunsets and Daylight Saving Time.

ForwardLene is designed to encourage all students who are new to running or need accountability partners.

A former track athlete created the group in hopes of starting a club for track runners who were not able to participate at the collegiate level. Now, the club consists of about 15 members with a variety of running backgrounds.

“We pray and stretch together before starting, and we encourage everyone to share their time or distance goals for the evening and find someone running their pace as well,” said Gloria Haynes, a senior kinesiology major from Shreveport, Louisiana.

The group has participated in multiple events such as 5Ks, 15Ks and half marathons around Abilene. With plans to receive grant money in the future, the club intends to continue this competitive tradition in years to come.

“What makes me passionate about running is the fact that it’s something you can do no matter how old or young you are,” said Kala Arnold, junior accounting major from Austin and the club’s vice president. “Even better, you don’t have to be good at it, you just have to want to do it.”

ForwardLene is not just about running, it’s about getting people together to be active while having a good time.

“I like the fact that it gives me the chance to enjoy the beautiful outdoors God blessed us with while also getting a good workout,” Arnold said. “I love the challenge. Running can get hard, but with each run you get better and better. I like being able to track my progress, and it’s awesome to see how far I’ve come in just a few years of consistent running.”

For more information, look for slides in Chapel, the ForwardLene Facebook page and flyers around campus.