Hillsborough Running Club

The winding road unpeeled in front of him, curling ever upward, it seemed, in an almost dizzying climb. The breath started to catch in his chest, his calves to seize and his mentality to waver.

But the thundering footsteps beside Russell Westbrook—those of his friend and running partner, Philip Van Tubbergh—broke through the haze of exertion. The two glanced at each other and, in company, decided to power forward for another six miles.

 

And Westbrook found the camaraderie in running.

​

​“You’re out there; you’re doing something, No. 1, that’s good for you and No. 2, sometimes you’ve got to suffer when you run,” he said. “And what better way to suffer than with somebody else? I’ve had a lot of days when I’m out there on the roads, and I’m by myself, and I’m pushing as hard as I can push, but I’m by myself.

​

There is a beauty in that, too, but I’ve really enjoyed running with Philip.

“… If he hadn’t been out there, I wouldn’t have pushed that hard. People are doing something that they have in common, but then they realize what you’re going through. They see, hey, that person’s trying hard. Maybe I need to push a little bit harder to get there.”

So, the time had come to give back.

​

After years of running within the community, growing through shared experiences and under the guidance of others, Westbrook decided he wanted to bring the same opportunity to others in the area. So the idea of Hillsborough Running Club was born.