Two years ago April Lund was, as she says, a “hot mess.”

“I was 65 pounds heavier. My body fat percentage was 44.8 percent,” she recalls. “I wanted to get back into shape. Running had always been my passion, but I thought it would be a whole lot more fun if my friends ran with me. So there was a group of eight of us that ran together in what we called our ‘track club.'”

April’s “GYS Track Club” (GYS is short for Get You Some, whether it’s motivation, exercise, or friendship) has now grown to 87 members. Practices are held at the Bismarck Community Bowl on Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. and Sundays at 7:00 a.m.

“On Wednesday nights we do speed work. That may be 15 second burst of running. You may run 100 meters or a half mile. Sundays are our longer runs. We run anywhere from one mile to 22 miles,” April explains. “We have people at all levels, some who don’t run. Instead, they walk the track. It’s all about increasing your fitness level, whatever level you’re at. People of all shapes, sizes, ages, and fitness levels are welcome.”

April, who is a certified personal trainer, says the track club is about more than just getting in shape—it’s also about friendship.

“We have all kinds of people who come run with us, everyone from the CEO of Basin Electric to the janitor at McDonalds. We welcome everyone and we’ve all become friends.”

Get more information on Facebook—just search GYS Track Club.