Profile of a new PAUSATF club, the US Coast Guard Running Club

The Pacific Association of the USATF has nearly 150 registered clubs, with many new clubs joining each year. One of the clubs newly formed in 2009 is the United States Coast Guard Running Club. Based out of Alameda, with a few runners at other locations, the US Coast Guard team is composed of 15 men, most in their 20's or 30's. They have competed in 6 of the PAUSATF cross country events this season and are currently in 6th place in the open men's team standings.

After the Shoreline Open I was joined in a post-race cool-down run by Jason Scott, team co-captain and spokesman for the club. Scott explained that most of the club's members are originally from other parts of the country, and all are impressed with the organization and participation in the PAUSATF cross country series. In addition to Ensign Scott, the team is captained by Lieutenant Ken Burgess.

Besides cross country, the club enjoys participating in road race relay events, such as The Relay, Tahoe Relay and Christmas Relay. The cross country team is excited about the PA XC Championships in November, but they are especially keying on competing in the USATF National Cross Country Championships, to be held in Spokane, WA, in February 2010. These National Championships also serve as the Armed Services National Cross Country Championships, and the US Coast Guard Running Club wants to compete as a Coast Guard team against the other branches of the military. They are currently missing this recognition from the military, with the official position being that these Coast Guard runners can be sent to the Championships as members of the Navy Cross Country team. Scott and his club members prefer to compete as the Coast Guard, and intend to pay their own way to the Championships in order to do so.

To prepare for the Championships and other races, US Coast Guard Running Club members who are assigned to cutters must make sure there is a working treadmill onboard so that they can stay in shape while out to sea, sometimes for tours of 3 months or longer. The club does not have a coach; they work together designing workouts, and broadcasting them on the club's website for distant members. The club members do serve as coaches for the Piedmont Middle School Cross Country team, and volunteer their services to a partner club, the Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders.

The US Coast Guard has historically lacked a fitness standard or test, but this has recently changed, and the soon to be instituted standard will be based on body mass index measurements, according to Ensign Scott. This new policy threatens the careers of heavier members of the Coast Guard, unless they can shed enough weight to meet the new standard. Addressing this concern became one of the motivating forces in creating the US Coast Guard Running Club, which now includes a self-proclaimed mission to help instill a culture of physical fitness within the members of the US Coast Guard.

At the 2009 Armed Forces National Cross Country Championships, the Air Force team won, with the Navy second, Army third and the Marines finishing fourth. Good luck to the Pacific Association based Coast Guard team in their efforts to run at the 2010 Armed Forces National Cross Country Championships.

All employees of the Coast Guard (Active duty, Reserve, and Civilian) as well as their dependants are welcome to join. For more information, visit the US Coast Guard Running Club's website at http://runuscg.org.