My first run with the Duke’s Track Club from Michael Thomas Coffee

Flagstaff, Arizona. Boulder, Colorado. Mammoth Lakes, California. Have you guessed this article will have something to do with altitude? If so, you’d be right, but maybe not in the way you’d expect. In the winter of 2019, I began researching places at significant altitude to spend the month of July. The expected places would be pricey and, well, expected. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m not one to deliver on “expected.” Then, having caught wind of my hunt, a Club Northwest teammate planted the Albuquerque seed. ”I’ll go with you, and we can stay with my family!” Sold. ABQ, here I come! My first, week-long trip to the Burque left me breathless (literally), windblown, and positively convinced this was where I’d spend my July. Needless to say, I would be returning during one of the hottest months of the year and during the area’s monsoon season. Oh, boy! Far from deterred, I arrived to scorching temps, jumped into a 10k (and subsequently melted), rode my bike hundreds of miles around ABQ and Santa Fe, ran very early mornings along the Bosque, raced a crit at Balloon Fiesta Park during a lightning storm, and, by far the highlight of my trip, connected with the Duke’s Track Club.

What struck me most about Jesse and Arlene Armijo, the two I like to call “Mamma and Papa Duke’s,” was not their impressive running backgrounds, which are nothing sort of impressive, but their warmth and focus on cultivating a run family. From the onset, they welcomed me on their runs, into their club, and even into their home. “Mi casa su casa,” Arlene texted me then and now when we discuss my plans to visit. Their hospitality resonated deeply with me as I pined for my Club Northwest family and the other creature comforts I’d left behind in Seattle.

More than just a track club, however, the Duke’s invest in the Albuquerque community. From visibly supporting social justice efforts, such as Running Medicine, to raising funds for New Mexico University's Lobos Cancer Challenge, DTC always has one foot on the track and one in community advocacy. They even have their own beer at High and Dry Brewery and blend at Michael Thomas Coffee Roasters. Nothing short of dynamic, the Duke’s, along with Mama and Papa Duke’s, deserve a spotlight, and I, as I sit on my patio in ABQ, am delighted to share with you a bit about my New Mexican run family.

Jules: How did the Duke’s Track Club come to be?

Jesse Armijo: It all started with a vision of recreating that college camaraderie that was instilled upon a teammate of mine named Kris Houghton and I. Those of us at Cal State San Marcos, and just like at many other colleges across the country, had a close connection with all of our teammates. However, once college was over that sense of training with each other fades away, and we wanted to recreate that in Albuquerque. Kris was attending Law School at UNM, and I was still training in San Diego but needed to attend Grad School somewhere at Altitude to pursue my post college Olympic Trials goals. Long story short, I was coaxed into moving to Abq and helped Kris create a Post-Collegiate team. With more elicitation of a few local runners we created the Duke’s Track Club. The name is rooted in Albuquerque with throwback references to “Track Club” from the era of: Oregon Track Club and Florida Track Club. Although many runners race on multiple surfaces, the name Track Club is very much an icon of the runner boom and reflects many of our icons from that era.

Jules: Describe your background in running?

Jesse Armijo: I ran all through high school in Southern California and was decent with a 4:29 mile and 9:48 2 mile. I then ran 2 years at a Junior College - Saddleback, to improve my times, then finished up my college career at California State University San Marcos where I was an All-American in Cross Country and multiple-time National Qualifier on the track from the DMR to the 10,000m (NAIA). My pr’s in college were: 3:55 in the 1500m, 14:52 in the 5000m and 31:41 in the 10,000m. I ran under the tutelage of Steve Scott in college, then continued to train on my own post college. I improved in all distances and my most notable are: 10,000m - 28:59.96, ½ marathon - 1:04:55, marathon - 2:17:19. I was able to qualify for the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 10000m in 2010 and the USA Olympic Marathon Trials in 2012. As for non-running, I am a Physical Education teacher and have been teaching for 9 years.

Jules: What are the club’s demographics and culture?

Jesse Armijo: The club is majority male with about 60% male and 40% female. The age range is mostly 23-33, then the next largest group would be 34-44, followed by 44 and up. Majority upper middle-class caucasians that are professionals within their careers. About half of the club ran in college, while the other half are newer to running. We also have a few members that are in high school.

Post group run pic at High and Dry Brewery

The club was founded to be a grassroots post-college club with goals of competing at the local, regional and national level. Another goal was to become an “Olympic Development” club, however retention and support were limited. Over the years the club has helped influence and support the recreational aspect of sustaining membership. Because of this, it is heavier on the rec side versus the “elite/sub-elite” side of things. The culture and mentality of the team has been goal driven with praise given to those that reach their running goals. The shift of the club has moved towards a collective and a celebration towards anyone who finds success within the club from running, to personal goals achieved, to career goals, to family celebrations.

Jules: What, if any, does the club see as its role in the ABQ community, running and non-running? NM? More globally? Or, rather, what role would the club like to play?

Jesse Armijo: I always envisioned the club having 3 interconnected groups under one umbrella of the Team. There would be an “elite” aspect of the team, a “community” aspect and “youth” aspect. Each of the 3 would interact with the others, as well as interact with the community at large. The hyper-serious elite team would represent the club on a national level, while influencing and providing support to their community and youth athletes. The community group would enjoy the social aspect, help coach the youth team and provide opportunities to engage in the Abq area through community services. The youth team would benefit from coaches in both the community level and maybe the elite level. These young athletes would embrace running and get to compete on our local USATF youth circuit and track meets.

Jules: What specific action steps has and will the club take towards racial and gender equity?

Jesse, Derrick, and Buddy the super fast three-legged dog!

Jesse Armijo: The team’s mission/overarching expectation is that all athletes compose themselves with integrity whenever wearing the club’s crest or acknowledging they are a member of our club even in their day-to-day lives. There will be zero tolerance for racial or gender discrimination. At this point there hasn’t been a need for retribution against anyone within the team. But if needed, we would ask them not to wear our team jersey and perhaps make a public announcement that they have been removed from our roster. However, we continue to have an open dialogue and share information with one another on anti-racism and gender equity. Furthermore, many members of the club feel a sense of safety when running and look to running as an outlet and a void from this conversation, which has not addressed the issues currently. Subtle reminders are injected to our club members from our leaders and we continue to push each other to acknowledge this issue just as we would push each other to train for a race.

Jules: Ok, altitude. ABQ sits a mile high. Do you all simply demolish us sea level folks when you make the descent to race?

Jesse Armijo: Yes, yes it is… I would not say we demolish “sea level folks” but rather attempt to demolish our pr’s when heading down to sea level. Maybe our elite squad would look to strike from above when coming down to sea level and pass as many people as possible towards the final straight away. However, many of our club members look forward to a strong taper and a beautiful course at sea level to take advantage of their personal training at altitude.

Jules: How do you handle training in the intense, triple digit summer heat? Any tips?

Jesse Armijo: Most runners found that running early has been the key to beating the heat, as well as staying hydrated. Maybe wear a buff that is rolled up with some ice in it could help.

Jules: What are the Duke’s favorite local races?

The Duke’s: LaLuz trail race, Duke’s 10k Classic, Sandia Crest Marathon, Chips and Salsa half marathon, Jamez Mountain trail runs, Mt. Taylor 50k, Jim Thorpe 5k

Known as the land of enchantments, New Mexico certainly does have a way of enchanting people, and Albuquerque is no secret haven for altitude training. In fact, the Brooks Beasts Track Club has called ABQ their altitude training home for a few years now. Other elite runners train in Sante Fe. Some climb higher to Los Alamos. Yet the Duke’s render the Burque unique. Ok, and it’s reliably ten degrees hotter in Albuquerque than up in the mountains, but a little heat training is good for the soul! At least that’s what I tell myself whilst withering away in afternoon triple digits having slept beyond the early morning’s cooler temps.

Finally, while we all have felt the impacts of the pandemic on our communities, including running communities such as the Dukes Track Club and Club Northwest, COVID-19 has devastated the New Mexican Pueblos and Navajo Nation. The COVID Racial Data tracker recently reported that American Indian and Alaska Native people constitute 9% of the total population of New Mexico. But they account for 44% of the total confirmed COVID-19 cases (14x the confirmed case rate of white people in NM) and 59% of deaths (10x the mortality rate of white people in NM). As such, until we can all run with our teams again, let's come together to recognize the people indigenous to the land on which we run and those disproportionately impacted by the virus. For information on how you can support, visit the Footsteps for Families event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/662453017671733/ and Native Health Initiative at https://lovingservice.us/donate

A huge thanks to Jesse, Arelene, and all of the Duke’s Track Club for their contributions to this article. To learn more about the Duke’s, visit them on Instagram @dukestrackclub or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/242616155766346

Thank you for reading!

Julia “Jules” Reade