Two UVA track team members founded Run Charlottesville in 2018. Now, the organization is bringing together college athletes and area kids at three Virginia locations. The mission? Use running to better the lives of young people from up and down the socioeconomic spectrum.
“For me, to see the kids every week get an opportunity to socialize and have fun outside and get more exposure to running and activity in general … it’s special,” says Trina Barcarola, the organization’s incoming president. “It’s great for the UVA students, too, because we don’t get a lot of exposure to kids.”
Barcarola, a UVA track team pole vaulter, says sports has translated to success in other areas of her own life, and that pushes her to make Run Charlottesville the best service organization it can be.
Barcarola takes over as president from Owayne Owens, who’s been in the position for three years. Owens hopes that during his own time at its helm, Run Charlottesville has given a few kids the same opportunities running’s given him. “It has done so much for me—it got me a scholarship,” Owens says. “If we can get kids to start running at a young age, we have so much to offer them: working together in groups, discipline, enjoying hard work. I just want to see kids better off because they were made aware of running.”