The Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club was originally founded as a women’s running club in 1972. Charlotte Lettis, a UMass Student, attempted to run in a regional cross country race. Women weren’t allowed, and while she managed to get a race number she was physically blocked from finishing by race officials. Seeing a need, she and fellow runner Tom Derderian founded the Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club. The club’s first meeting included “teenagers and grandmothers.” The club later admitted men, but it has held on to its founding principles of promoting running for all.