STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

PALMER — Before founding the Valley Women’s Running Team, Rhonda Knopp would routinely make the trek into Anchorage to train with a club.

Knopp wanted more experience, she wanted to get faster.

It wasn’t long before Knopp began to think it was time to provide Mat-Su women with their own club. Now 11 years later, the Valley Women’s Team is 70 members strong.

“I knew there were a lot of runners, so I thought why not get something going out here in the Valley?” Knopp said Tuesday evening as the team’s weekly session began on the Palmer High School track.

Knopp and her brother, Norm Rousey — both experienced runners and coaches in the Valley — lead the group through workouts each Tuesday night from April through August.

Knopp and Rousey cater to all age groups and ability levels. The age of members ranges from 20 to 60. There are competitive runners and those who simply wish to be active. There are runners who stick to 5-Ks, and others who train for triathlon.

But overall, Knopp said her vision for the VWRT is to provide local women with guidance, motivation and support, regardless of goals.

“One of the reasons for starting the group is just the support,” Knopp said. “To have the support, of just not the coaches, but the other women in the group.”

Vera Hershey was part of the initial group of women who joined the club, and has watched as the club has grown from a group of about two dozen to a field of more than 70 runners. Hershey also didn’t minimize the impact the club has made on her life.

“It’s life-changing,” said Hershey, who now serves as the VWRT board president. “I can attest to that. It changes your life, your eating, your exercising.”

The relationship with the other runners is key, Hershey said.

“You really do develop bonds with the other runners,” Hershey said. “You become involved with their lives. You support each other, help each other attain their goals.”

The social aspect is what drew Julie Berberich to the club.

“I wanted to find other people that do the things that I like do to. And I did,” said Berberich, who has been running with the club for six years. “I found my best friends here, people I work out with. All of my training partners I met here.”

Alisa Kincaid also joined about six years ago, and shares Berberich’s sentiments.

“I met some wonderful ladies through it,” Kincaid said.

Members have different motivations for joining the club. But regardless of why they came, many share the reasons why they stay.

Janelle Roberts, an experienced triathlete, hopes to find a greater appreciation for running.

“I heard from friends it was fun, and I need something to motivate me because I hate running,” said Roberts, who joined in April. “So I thought if I could force myself, I could start liking it.”

While the runners benefit from the support, there’s also coaching.

“The coaches are great. My fitness has improved immensely,” Berberich said. “Everything I know about fitness and training and racing I learned from the coaches here.”

Knopp and Rousey prepare a variety of workouts throughout the summer, while factoring in the ability levels of all their runners. Each weekly session includes a warm-up run, drills and cool down. On Tuesday, the group worked on interval training, running 400-meter splits with a 5-K race pace.

“(The coaching) is extremely valuable. My speed has increased dramatically,” Berberich said. “The best thing I’ve ever done in my life is join the Valley Women’s Running Team.”

Any women interested in joining the club can attend one of the weekly sessions that start each Tuesday at 6 p.m. For more information, see the club’s website at vwrt.org.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.