Humans of Oxford | Running away from roommates, stress and campus

By Kevin Vestal, For The Miami Student

He wears a pair of Nike Pegasus - lagoon blue with orange trimming. First-year Evan Crew does some cursory calf stretches on the stairs of the Rec Center. The other runners do the same, each limbering their leg muscles.

Having run both cross country and track throughout high school, Evan was attracted to Miami's Striders Running Club from the get-go. Some upperclassmen convinced him to practice with them, and he has since made fast friends. Content with his running buddies, Evan decided against going Greek in the spring.

Stretching complete, Evan and the others break into a jog down Chestnut Street. Their pace increases as they near Peffer Park, culminating in a steady stride with familiar chatter.

Evan moved into Thomson Hall with another strider at the start of his second semester. Although living on Western Campus comes with a commute, Evan finds his new roommate Jared to be his sarcastic complement.

The earth squishes beneath his soles as he enters the Western trailhead. Bounding up the hills is agonizing, but on the way down the rush of wind through his strawberry hair makes the climb worthwhile. In the distance Evan can see Four Mile Creek, but he does not stop to admire.

On the weekends they go on longer trips, often crossing the Indiana border. This summer Evan plans to run a marathon in Minnesota with two other guys from the club. There was a fourth, but he dropped out.

Back in Oxford, Evan's shins pound into the concrete by Farmer. They finish the loop at Yager Stadium before restocking carbs at Harris - an enduring tradition.

"Going on a nice, long run with friends is a great way to relieve stress," Evan says. "There's just something about running away from all the stresses of college life and hitting the trail."