SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — For many people in Central New York, getting outside and staying active is a challenge during the region’s intense winters. Snowstorms and subzero temperatures usually mean staying inside and keeping warm, but for a local Syracuse running club, they signal it’s time to get out and go.
The group is appropriately named the Lake Effect Run Club. Its members are well accustomed to running in Syracuse’s harsh winter elements, and they don’t seem to mind the added challenge.
On Jan. 23, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in New York ahead of incoming snowstorms, but the Lake Effect Run Club didn’t budge — they simply bundled up a bit more.
“I’ve got the big mittens and I’ve got the hand warmers,” said Lorieanne Voight, a longtime club member. “You know you’ve just got to dress appropriately.”
Despite howling winds, heavy snow and freezing temperatures, the weather is mostly an afterthought for many Lake Effect Run Club runners. They come to challenge themselves and achieve personal goals, not to be held back by the weather.
“I mean, I’m driven,” said member Harry Triana. “I have some individual goals that I’m trying to attain, so the weather isn’t at the forefront of my daily runs.”
Triana joined the Lake Effect Run Club in May. He knew running in extreme conditions would be challenging as a relatively new runner, but he wanted to stay consistent through the winter.
“As soon as the weather broke and got colder, I probably have taken two or three days off this winter,” Triana said. “That’s about it.”
Although branded as a running club, the Lake Effect Run Club is just as much about socialization and community as it is about running. Each meeting starts and ends with a social gathering at a restaurant or bar so runners can share food, drinks and a good time after their runs. Anyone is welcome at the club’s meetings, no matter their pace, age or experience.
“It’s a great diverse group,” said Voight. “There’s all ages, there’s females and males. We have people that are in their 20s, and we have people in their 70s and 80s.”
The club hosts meetings twice a week on Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons year-round.
And even as Central New York’s harsh winter continues, members of the Lake Effect Run Club plan to keep showing up, one run at a time, no matter the weather.