When Josh Whitman returned to his alma mater in 2016 as Illinois' athletic director, he knew he wanted to find ways to reconnect with the community. Whitman previously spent several years at the University, playing for Illinois football as a tight end up until 2001, then graduating from the Illinois College of Law in 2008.
But after eight years away from Champaign-Urbana and a family on the way, Whitman wanted to make the area feel like home again. So, he took an idea that he considered at his previous institutions and started a football game day running club that would be open to the public.
"The idea was really to just try and create a sense of community and excitement around our football program, around our football game days, to add to the tradition of Illinois football," Whitman said. "It's something that kind of ties in things that are important to me; I enjoy exercise, I like to run. I have always run on the days of games. When I got here, I thought, well, I've got a big enough platform now. I saw some of my follower numbers increase on social media that maybe people would enjoy this. So, we tested it out. I've done it every game I've been here, and people started to show up."
No matter what time kickoff is or what the weather is like, Whitman has led his club through a four-mile run each game day at 7 a.m. since the 2017 football season. He even remembers contemplating a cancellation one game day when it was pouring rain, but his wife, Hope, told him he would look "soft" if he didn't conduct the run.
While the club started out with around eight to ten people in attendance, Whitman said it gradually gained traction and now he routinely has 40-50 people every time. Some are regulars while the club usually sees a new person each run.
Occasionally other Illini teams, like cross country or wrestling will join in on the runs. Whitman believes it's a fun way for the student-athletes to also feel connected to the community.
"It's awesome, I love it when they show up and it's always a highlight when they're there," Whitman said. "I think that it allows the community to be around them too. We're so proud of who they are in their sports but in their lives as well. It's a great way for them to interact with some people they've not met before. And maybe when the runs over some of the fans and community members who ran think, 'that's cool, I feel like I've got a connection to the to the cross country team,' in that case. I think that's something that can be really beneficial down the road."
While the club's participants randomly get those interactions with the student-athletes they support, they get that informal time with Whitman every week. He has tried to keep the running club as organic as possible as he stops at the same Walgreens for a case of water and picks up donuts from the same shop each week.
"I think it's really important in roles like this one, to be accessible and to be available and to let people see you in a different light than perhaps they do through the lens of the media or in other settings," Whitman said. "Whether it's making sure that my family and I go out to dinner or my wife and I go to movies, we try not to hole up in our home and just sort of be there. We really try to integrate ourselves into Champaign-Urbana. This is our home. We want to be connected to the community and I think the run club is just another extension of that."
With the run going through campus and near the tailgating lots, Whitman has experienced a lot of fun moments with the club. Whether its people jumping in mid-run, alumni tagging along to reminisce or tailgaters throwing out football, Whitman has seen it all.
Some days, depending on the group, Whitman will take the club into Memorial Stadium and down onto the field where the runners can take a lap around the field. Whitman said a different surprise may be coming for the club soon, one that would give runners a preview of a new facility.
But in the short term, Whitman is most excited about this Saturday's running club. A larger crowd usually shows up on Homecoming weekend as alumni like to run through campus and see the changes made since they were last in Champaign. And even though the club is a weekly tradition, it only adds to the rich history of Homecoming at Illinois.
"The big games just draw more people into the stands, so they generally draw more people to the run club too. Sometimes game time will have some some implications for how many people we get. I think the mid-afternoon game on Homecoming will be about perfect. And October weather is about as good as it gets. So, people seem to enjoy getting in being a part of that."
While the run club is already six years old, Whitman is excited about the club's future as it continues to grow each year. Going from eight to 50 people during that time has been rewarding for Whitman to see as he gets to connect with new people each weekend, while bringing attention to Illinois football.
"It's just been a really, really nice tradition," Whitman said. "I hope people will continue to show up and maybe we can grow it a little bit more in the years ahead."
