In 2023, the membership ratified our name change from Greater Rochester Track Club to Greater Rochester Running Club, which more aptly reflects who we are now. As of 2024, we began the process of implementing the use of GRRC with final legal matters resolved allowing us to do business under that name.

Our club is for runners of every type, whether road racers or trailblazers. Members cover the gamut of age ranges and paces. Some folks are insanely fast, and others joke about being turtles. All runners are welcome.

Membership Benefits

Monthly president's letter highlighting club activities and select running events
Access to special club events like our annual banquet and picnic
Access to race equipment, perfect for one-time and start-up races
Discounts on:

• most Rochester Runner of the Year Series races
• registration for the Freezeroo Series
• the club's ultras: Mind the Ducks and Candlelight 12/24-Hour
• a variety of non-GRRC races offered by local and regional race directors
• participation in the Spring Track Clinic and Summer Performance Clinic

History

The Greater Rochester Running Club (GRRC) traces its origins back to July 1, 1958, when the old Rochester Track Club (RTC) was founded. Peter Todd, cross country and track coach at the Rochester Institute of Technology for 32 years, was elected as the President and served as such until 1976. Along with Todd, the original members of the RTC were Herb Wabnitz, Gary Thompson, Jerry Fuhrman and Ed Duncan. The club chose red and white as their official colors because four of the five founding members were students at Cortland State, whose colors - yep, you guessed it - just happened to be red and white. That first summer the RTC team won just one team trophy and ended the year with seventeen members.

Early stars of the RTC were Ed Duncan who, as a nineteen-year-old college sophomore was 10th in the 1961 Boston Marathon, and along with Jack Coons, Dick Ashley and Don Brown put the club on the map. In 1966, Track & Field News voted the RTC one of the top five distance teams in the country.

Trent Jackson, another early RTC member, represented the U.S. in the 1960 Olympics, pulling up lame in the semi-finals of the 100M dash. Gold medalist (Bullet) Bob Hayes was the only runner to beat Trent at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon that year. In fact, Trent Jackson still holds the national high school record for 100-yard dash at 9.4 seconds. In 1971 Trent became the inaugural inductee into the RTC Hall of Fame.

The early Rochester Track Club was a distance-oriented team. At this time the Tuesday evening summer track meets were the core of the club’s activities. These meets served as qualifiers for the East Avenue Mile.

In 1976 the RTC merged with both the Rochester Road Runners and Brockport’s College City Striders Club to become the Greater Rochester Track Club (GRTC). Bill Quinlisk, past president of the Genesee Valley Harriers, became the president of the new club and guided its growth until 1979 when he handed the reins over to one of the first women presidents of a major running club, Uta Allers. The innovative Ms. Allers served until 1981 when top masters runner Dick Withrow became the club’s third president. The GRTC saw a dramatic increase in membership to nearly 2,000 by 1983. Along with the running boom came the amazing increase in numbers, size, and quality of local races.

By the 2010s, track races in our area shrank as did members' focus on them. Road running, trails, and long-distance races saw growth that could not be denied. While youth and collegiate track events are still popular, the post-college age racer is more likely to be found pounding 5K of pavement than chasing a 400-meter PR. After years of being contacted for track meets we weren't hosting and being told folks didn't think we were for them because they aren't track athletes, it was time for another name change. Members ratified the change from Greater Rochester Track Club (GRTC), which is still our corporate name, to Greater Rochester Running Club (GRRC), our Doing Business As name. In 2024, the legal parts were behind us, a set of new logos was adopted, and we began the outward transition of going by GRRC.

From that one team trophy won by the RTC in 1958, the GRRC has grown to a total of winning over 20 national championships and over 200 team championships in both regional and state-level competition. Over the years more than 10,000 different athletes have competed for the Greater Rochester Running Club in a variety of event types and distances, solo and as team members.