Q: What if I can’t make it to the regular practice times?
A: Don’t worry! There are still ways to run with the cows. Join Slack! This is a groupchat for all things WTC, including finding running buddies within WTC. Post when and where you are planning on running and you can find running buddies.
Q: Who can join?
A: Our club is mainly made up of UW Madison students, but anyone who is looking to train with us can come to practice or email an officer for more information! For regular training and non-NIRCA races, anyone may join us; just go to the Membership page to start the membership process. Anyone can attend practice, but standards are stricter if you’d like to compete in NIRCA sanctioned races (Regionals, Nationals, Club Relays, etc.).
To compete in NIRCA sanctioned events:
- You must be a full time undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at UW-Madison
- You cannot be on a varsity team roster during this semester of NIRCA competition
- You must be in good academic standing
- You must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
Q: Can I join partway through the semester?
A: Absolutely! We always welcome new runners at any point in the semester.
Q: I’m not very fast, or I’m not in great shape right now. Can I still run with WTC?
A: Of course! The cows within the club have a wide variety of ability levels, so chances are you aren’t alone. On our easy runs, we promise not to drop anyone from the pack if it’s getting hard to keep up. Also, many of our workouts are on a specific stretch of road/trail or are entirely on the track, so no matter if you’re pounding out repeats like a champ up front or if you’re on the struggle bus, we all end up in the same places at the beginning and end of each repeat. If you go out one way for a mile repeat and you don’t come back for the next, we’ll come find you. If you feel like you’re not in good enough shape, you’ll be in great fitness soon enough after you start working out with us.
Q: When does the season begin?
A: Our practices officially begin on the first day of fall semester for cross country and the first day of spring semester for track. However, many of us are in the Madison area even when school isn’t in session, so always check Slack for impromptu runs or workouts.
Q: Geez, do you guys do anything other than run?
A: Yeah, crazy right? We actually love to have social events, volunteer, and more. We even cross train sometimes when we’re too injured to run.
Q: Do I have to race to be in WTC?
A: Nope. Racing is fun, so we encourage it, but you can come to practice or come to social events without ever racing.
Q: How much does it cost to be a part of this club?
A: Club dues are $30 per semester and meet entries range from $20-30 for single day meets and $35-50 for overnight meets like Griak, Club Relays, or Nationals. Meet entry fees include transportation to and from meets. We recommend paying for all of this stuff through Venmo, which doesn’t add any extra fees.
Q: I have more questions. Who can I ask?
A: Check out the Club Officers page (About–>Coaches and Club Officers 2024) and feel free to email any of us.