Plano Pacers Running Club was founded by the City of Plano Parks & Recreation department in 1978, and has operated as a nonprofit running club since then. The club holds two races each month, with practices and competitions of varying distances and event types throughout the year.
Every month, hundreds of Planoites and surrounding-area residents gather at Windhaven Meadows Park at 8 a.m. sharp. A fun run for some and an opportunity for a personal record (PR) for others, Plano Pacers races have built a community of runners right in our backyard.
Fred Ellefson, president of Plano Pacers, is a retired telecom expert who worked with fiber optic equipment in engineering, product management, product manufacturing and product planning over his multi-decade career.
But retirement doesn’t mean stagnation.
“Running was a great stress release while I was working. Over time, it became a great hobby and opportunity for socializing with like-minded people. When I worked, I ran mostly by myself before work,” he says. “But after retiring, I have spent more time running with a variety of groups and it has become more social for me.”
Ellefson became president of the club in 2020, and has run in over 120 Plano Pacers events, volunteering at approximately 100 others.
Plano Pacers Running Club was founded by the City of Plano Parks & Recreation department in 1978, and has operated as a nonprofit running club since then. The club holds two races each month, with practices and competitions of varying distances and event types throughout the year.
The group has about 900 active members, with 200-300 running in each month’s events, Ellefson says.
“It really is a community with a core group of regular runners that show up each month. We also have a core group of volunteers that are the backbone of our group,” Ellefson says. “The running community and Plano Pacers have become more welcoming to runners of all levels over the years.”
The races are mostly hosted at Windhaven Meadows Park and Bob Woodruff Park, though this year’s are at the former due to construction at the latter.
“There is a great community of runners in Plano and the surrounding suburbs,” Ellefson says. “Our members come from virtually every suburb in the metro area, including some suburbs that are more than an hour drive away.”
Membership is not required to run. Upcoming events include the Turkey Run Off (a 5K, 15K and Kid’s K) on Nov. 28 and Holiday Hustle (3K, 8K and Kid’s K) on Dec. 26. Memberships are $40 for a single adult for a year, with additional options for families, students and seniors. Non-members can pay $15 per race to participate.