The next BARC meeting shall be Monday, 8/9/2010 at 7:00 pm at On The Run.

BARC was founded in 1975 by a small group of men employed at NASA Johnson Space Center who shared a common interest in running. BARC began when a group of runners from the Clear Lake community attended races and witnessed awards given to various running clubs. Curious about how they could form a club, GAAC (now known as Houston Area Road RunnersAssociation,  or HARRA) required an organization to have at least 25 members and pay annual dues. Over the next few weeks, this group of runners sought out anyone who even looked as if he or she could run, and these people were asked to help form BARC. Soon a group of 25 were successfully recruited, and BARC was born.

Club officers were then elected. A monthly newsletter published monthly and meetings took place.Instead of formal meetings; however, club members met at the finish line/beer station at the end of fun runs. Club policy and issues were discussed at that time. The club enjoyed socializing AND victories, as the men's Masters Team dominated the last half of the 1970's, winning the championship each year.

The core of charter members also decided to organize fun runs for themselves and for the community.
Club runs were held on Sunday afternoons during the summer, while a few public evening runs were held at the Johnson Space Center throughout the year. In 1979, the club was approached about  helping to put on a summer race to help celebrate the first lunar landing. This was the beginning of the Lunar Rendezvous Space Run.

Our club has changed in many ways over the years, yet it has also remained the same. As of May  2009, BARC included more than 200 members. Meetings are now held on the second Monday of each month, and social events and group runs are held throughout the year. As in the early days, BARC is still a social organization that emphasizes camaraderie through running. The club also enters many team events and attempts to establish BARC as a competitive force among the running clubs in the Houston area.