As a young girl, Rheema Ayyash hated running. Her mom, who was very athletic, would often try to bring her along on her runs, but Ayyash struggled to understand why someone would willingly put effort into something that takes such a physical toll. 

Now, decades later, the DePaul junior is the president of Demons on the Run, a campus running club she founded in May 2024. She also has two marathons under her belt.

“It’s just a perspective switch,” Ayyash said. 

That switch came in high school, after a friend encouraged her to join cross-country and track. Slowly but surely, she started to build a taste for the sport, relishing in the small victories of shaving seconds off her times. 

“I’m not really competitive against other people. I’m competitive with myself,” she said.

When she started college life at DePaul, running got put on the back burner. Ayyash tried her hand at weightlifting to stay active, but all the while something was missing — she couldn’t keep herself away from the runner’s high. 

Despite the tough task of starting from scratch, Ayyash rebuilt her endurance and got her pace back. It became clear she wasn’t going to give up.

That same year, Ayyash found herself on the sidelines, cheering on runners at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Her sign read, “Wish that were me, but you’re doing great.” It was her first time watching the marathon since her mom ran it many years prior.

That day, something clicked. She finally understood why people willingly poured their blood, sweat and tears into crossing the finish line.

“I was like, this is insane. I want to do it,” she said. 

That December, Ayyash won a lottery spot for the 2024 Chicago Marathon. 

Her training was full of ups and downs, PRs and burnout. Ayyash competed with no one but herself, sometimes to her own detriment.

“I took it so seriously,” Ayyash said. “I think that’s one of the reasons why I didn’t end up performing the way I wanted to.”

Regardless of time, making her way back to Columbus Drive after running 26.2 miles was a moment that Ayyash said she will never forget. 

“It was genuinely one of the best experiences of my life,” she said.

It wasn’t the aching muscles, sore limbs or pain that made it so memorable. It was the overwhelming amount of humanity and community on display. 

“It’s like tough love. I don’t know you, and you’re coming to me specifically, telling me that I can do this. It’s such a different kind of encouragement,” Ayyash said. “It’s a sport that brings people together.” 

This sense of community is one of the many reasons Ayyash loves leading Demons on the Run.

The club meets twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays at the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center on DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus, welcoming DePaul students of all levels.

“Anybody that gets out and gets going is a runner,” Ayyash said. “No matter what pace, no matter what distance, you are a runner. Movement is key.”

Since fall quarter, a dozen or more runners have participated in almost every outing. On Friday, Oct. 10, many of them took part in Race 312, a relay hosted by Nike, which saw teams of three compete in 3K, 2K and 1K sprints.

Samuel Lozano, a DePaul freshman and club member, felt the event was worth the training and was his favorite so far this year. For him, the club offers a space for him to grow at his own pace and make connections.

“It’s a good club to get better at running long distance and in general, everyone has really friendly vibes,” Lozano said.

Ayyash credits some of the club’s tremendous growth to a larger uptick in running popularity. She said it’s been a “huge thing on social media.”

On TikTok, there are 1.5 million posts tagged under #runtok and 179,000 posts under #runclub. 

The online running trend reflects the shared motivation that Ayyash has cultivated on campus.

It’s this sense of togetherness that inspired Mia Hicks, co-president and DePaul junior, to begin her journey with the club. 

“When I came to college, I had a lot less motivation to run since I didn’t have a team to do it with like I used to,” Hicks said. “Since joining, I have found such a great community of runners.” 

Hicks believes that Ayyash’s discipline, enthusiasm and determination have made the club what it is today.

“I can see how much she cares about the club and the people in it, which makes me want to put my best foot forward when leading the team,” Hicks said. “I look up to her in so many ways.”

It might have been a long time coming, but now running is a staple in Ayyash’s life. As she continues setting the bar high for herself, she hopes to help others do the same.

Watching members leave practice with a newfound sense of belief and confidence motivates Ayyash to lace up her shoes as she continues to set the pace for Demons on the Run.

“It’s super rewarding seeing people come from nothing and actively show up to see where they end up,” Ayyash said.

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