56 Philadelphia and South Jersey Running Groups and Runner Meet-Ups
Get ready to lace 'em up, whether you're in the city proper or the suburbs.
The November Project is just one of many running groups in the Philly area. / Photograph by John Combs.
Running is typically something most people absolutely love or totally hate. Some love it because it gives them the best (natural) high they’ve ever gotten, while others hate it because they can’t catch their breath and their legs feel like they’re dying. And, honestly, I see both sides of the argument. But I know one thing for sure: having someone to run with definitely helps.
Joining a running group is a sure-fire way to always have folks to run with. Below you’ll find a lengthy list of the many, many running groups in the area — 56 groups to be exact. We’ve got groups in most of the neighborhoods in the city; we’ve got running groups in the suburbs; and boy-oh-boy do we have running groups in South Jersey. Soooooo, what we’re trying to say is: There’s no excuse for not getting out there to pound the pavement — we can guarantee there’s a tribe of runners near you who are ready to rumble.
Running Groups in Philadelphia
Monster Miler and Philadelphia Runner Fun Run
When: Second Sunday of every month at 10:30 a.m. with an additional run each month from a partner animal shelter. (The main mission is to provide running companions for homeless dogs.)
Where: Philadelphia Runner (1601 Sansom Street)
Typical Run: Three-ish miles
Membership Fee: None
Back on My Feet
When: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 5:30 a.m.
Where: Varies (They have four “teams” around Philadelphia.)
Typical Run: Between one and five miles
Membership Fee: None, although you must attend an orientation to join the group; you can sign up on the website.
Black Girls Run! Philadelphia
When: Six days a week; check out the schedule here.
Where: Runs leave from locations around the city, including Lloyd Hall, the Northeast, West Philly, East Oak Lane, and even some suburban locations like Delco, Chester County, and Montgomery County
Typical run: Usually three to five miles
Membership Fee: None, but you must register with the website to view run information.
Black Men Run Philly
When: Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 6:30 a.m.
Where: Lloyd Hall on Wednesdays and 33rd and Diamond streets on Saturdays
Typical Run: Varies
Membership Fee: None
Chasing Trail Running Club
When: Thursdays at 5:45 and Sundays at 8:30 a.m.; other randomly scheduled runs are updated on their Facebook page.
Where: Valley Green Inn, Wissahickon
Typical Run: Four to six miles; Thursdays are hill days
Membership Fee: None
City Fit Girls Running Club
When: Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Dilworth Park
Typical Run: Three to five miles
Membership Fee: None
East Falls Flyers
When: Mondays at 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Kelly Drive side of Falls Bridge in East Falls
Typical Run: Three to four miles; group grabs post-run drinks at a neighborhood bar.
Membership Fee: None
Elkins Park Beer Runners
When: Once a week; specific days vary
Where: Typically McKinley Tavern, 881 Township Line Road, Elkins Park (other locations are announced in advance)
Typical Run: Three to five miles
Membership Fee: None
Fairmount Running Club
When: Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 6:45 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m.
Where: The Art Museum steps on Tuesdays, the Fairmount Running Company store on Wednesdays, and the Eastern State Penitentiary, from which you drive out to Wissahickon as a group, on Saturdays
Typical Run: Varies; between one and seven miles, depending on the day
Membership Fee: None
Fishtown Beer Runners
When: Thursdays at 7 p.m.
Where: East Palmer Street and Frankford Avenue in Fishtown, Seventh and Bainbridge streets in Bella Vista, and City Hall’s courtyard (near the giant compass painted on the ground) in Center City
Typical Run: Three to five miles
Membership Fee: None, but you’re going to want to bring some cash for your post-run beer.
Lez Run Running Club
When: Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. plus some races; check the schedule.
Where: Philadelphia Runner (1601 Sansom Street) in Center City
Typical Run: About four miles
Membership Fee: None
Manayunk Beer Runners
When: Monday nights at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Main Street & Green Lane under the Manayunk Bridge
Typical Run: Three to five miles
Membership Fee: None
Manayunk Running Club
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Tuesdays at JD McGillicuddy’s (111 Cotton Street, Manayunk), Thursdays at Philadelphia Runner (4358 Main Street, Manayunk)
Typical Run: Four to seven miles
Membership Fee: None
Northeast Philly Beer Runners
When: Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
Where: Rotates among different bars and restaurants in the Northeast. (Check the Facebook page for the weekly details.)
Typical Run: Varies
Membership Fee: None
November Project
When: Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:25 a.m.
Where: The Art Museum steps on Wednesdays; locations vary on Fridays
Typical Run: 40 minutes (Note that it’s running-based but includes bodyweight exercises.)
Membership fee: None
OPAC Run Club
When: Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Where: TenStone Restaurant and Bar (2063 South Street)
Typical Run: Three to four miles
Membership Fee: None
Passyunk Beer & Java Runners
When: Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m.
Where: The Singing Fountain (South 11th Street and East Passyunk Avenue)
Typical Run: Three to five miles
Membership Fee: None
Pennypack Trail Runners
When: Saturdays at 7:30 a.m.
Where: The Pine Road parking lot in Pennypack Park
Typical Run: Anywhere between one and six miles, depending on your speed and experience
Membership Fee: None
Philadelphia Frontrunners
When: Mondays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m.
Where: The William Way LGBT Community Center on Mondays and Lloyd Hall on Saturdays
Typical Run: Five miles on Mondays and one to five miles on Saturdays
Membership Fee: None
Philadelphia Runner Center City
When: Thursdays at 6 p.m.
Where: 1601 Sansom Street in Center City
Typical Run: Three to five miles
Membership Fee: None
Philadelphia Runner Manayunk
When: Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.
Where: 4358 Main Street in Manayunk
Typical Run: Three to five miles
Membership Fee: None
Philadelphia Runner University City
When: Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
Where: 3621 Walnut Street in University City
Typical Run: Three to five miles
Membership Fee: None
Philadelphia Runner Track Club
When: Sundays at 8:30 a.m. and Tuesdays at 6:15 p.m.
Where: Sundays at Lloyd Hall, Tuesdays at Franklin Field during the school year and Lloyd Hall during the summer
Typical Run: Depending on the day, everything from long runs to tempo runs to hill workouts — and, of course, track workouts.
Membership Fee: None
Philly Achilles
When: Saturdays at 9 a.m.
Where: Lobby of the Cigna building (1601 Chestnut Street) in Center City
Typical Run: Varies
Membership Fee: None
Philly Distance Runners
When: Every other Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Starting location varies
Typical Run: Typically 10 to 20 miles
Membership Fee: None
Philly Fun Run
When: Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
Where: A different bar each week; check the Meetup group for the schedule.
Typical Run: Four to five miles
Membership Fee: None, just RSVP on Meetup before each run
Philly Runners
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m.
Where: Art Museum steps
Typical Run: Varies; expect speedwork, hill work, and four- to eight-mile runs
Membership Fee: None
Point Breeze Runners
When: Mondays at 6:30 p.m.
Where: In front of American Sardine Bar (1800 Federal Street) in Point Breeze
Typical Run: Three to five miles
Membership Fee: None
Second Street Running Society
When: Just about every day at 5 a.m.; check the Facebook page to confirm
Where: Members typically meet in the Pennsport area and run down 2nd Street, picking up folks along the way
Typical Run: Between four and five miles but longer on the weekends
Membership Fee: None
Shack Track Run
When: Shake Shack partners with Philadelphia Runner for a monthly run that includes a complimentary Shake Shack drink
Where: At the Center City location of Philadelphia Runner (1601 Sansom Street).
Typical Run: Three to five miles
Membership Fee: None
South Philly Striders Running Club
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:15 a.m., Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. (start time changes for the summer to 7 p.m. on Memorial Day), and Saturdays at 8 a.m.
Where: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday runs leave from Front and South streets; Wednesday runs leave from 6th and Race streets
Typical Run: Anywhere from two to 10 miles
Membership Fee: None
T3 Philly
When: Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. with other scattered dates; check the website for the full schedule.
Where: Tuesdays at the Temple University Sports Complex track
Typical Run: This is a triathlon training team, so expect group runs of four to six miles varying in distance as well as bike rides and swimming sessions,.
Membership Fee: $50 for the year
Team Humane League Meatless Monday Running Crew
When: Monday evenings
Where: Check the Facebook group for weekly start locations and times; runs end at a restaurant for a shared meatless Monday meal.
Typical Run: Three miles
Membership Fee: Free
Team Philly Race Training
When: Various days and times; check the Facebook page.
Where: Location varies depending on the day; check here.
Typical Run: Training runs for everything from 5Ks to marathons, ranging from a run as short as three miles to Saturday morning long runs.
Membership Fee: $75-$130 for the year, depending on the training package chosen.
Torresdale Beer Runners
When: Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
Where: Location varies; starts at a bar or restaurant in the Northeast
Typical Run: Varies, see Facebook for information on each run.
Membership Fee: None
Trail Sisters Philadelphia
When: Varies. Events usually take place twice a month, and there are lots of informal meetups posted on the Facebook page.
Where: Most often trails in the Wissahickon, like Green Ribbon Trail, but also ones in Valley Forge National Historical Park such as Mt. Misery and Mt. Joy.
Typical Run: Varies based on group from five to 20 miles.
Membership Fee: None
West Philly Runners
When: Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Where: 45th and Locust streets, in front of Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant
Typical Run: Two-, four- and six-mile routes that change weekly. The group also does interval training on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. at Penn Park.
Membership Fee: None
Wissahickon Wanderers Running Club
When: Trail runs take place Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Hill repeats are Sundays at 10 a.m. from January through March, and track workouts are Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. from March through October.
Where: Valley Green Inn in Wissahickon except for the track workouts, which meet at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s Maguire Stadium at Landreth Field (500 West Willow Grove Avenue)
Typical Run: Varies.
Membership Fee: None
November Project runners at Lloyd Hall./Photograph by John Combs.
Running Groups in the Suburbs
Bryn Mawr Running Club
When: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Wednesdays at 6:10 p.m., Thursdays at 6:15 p.m., and Saturdays at 8 a.m. (There’s also an elite early-morning Saturday group that leaves between 6:30 and 7 a.m. and runs between 10 and 15 miles.)
Where: Bryn Mawr Running Company stores in Bryn Mawr (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and Media (Thursdays) and the parking lot behind Hothouse Coffee in Bryn Mawr on Saturdays
Typical Run: Varies, depending on the day
Membership Fee: $30 for the year for an individual and $40 for a family (There are also three-year options.)
Bucks County Road Runners
When: Various days and times
Where: Various locations in the Philly area and New Jersey
Typical Run: Varies; expect trail runs and track workouts
Membership Fee: $40 for the year for an individual and $55 for a family.
Conshohocken Running Club
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m.
Where: Location varies. (Mmake sure to check updates on Facebook.)
Typical run: Varies
Membership Fee: None
Delco Road Runners Club
When: Daily, except Fridays
Where: Various locations, including Springfield, Collingdale, Swathmore and Media
Typical Run: Varies
Membership Fee: None
Fast Tracks Running Club
When: Daily, at various times
Where: Various locations in Valley Forge
Typical Run: Five to 10 miles
Membership Fee: $20 for the year
Jenkintown Running Company Growlers
When: Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
Where: Jenkintown Running Company (416 Old York Road) in Jenkintown
Typical Run: Three to 10 miles
Membership Fee: None
Montco Runners
When: Varies
Where: Varies
Typical Run: Varies
Membership Fee: None
Norristown Run Club
When: Wednesdays at 6:30pm.
Where: At Norristown Farm Park and Betzwood Park during the spring and summer; various locations around the Norristown area in the winter. (Make sure to check updates on Facebook or the website.)
Typical Run: Three to four miles on weekdays with longer runs on weekends.
Membership Fee: None
Philadelphia Runner Glen Mills
When: Track workouts Thursdays at 6 a.m. and trail runs every other Sunday at 8 a.m.
Where: Garnet Valley Middle School (601 Smithbridge Road) in Glen Mills on Thursdays and the Smith Bridge Parking Lot for First State National Historical Park on Sundays
Typical Run: Varies
Membership Fee: None
West Chester Running Club
When: Various days and times depending on the season
Where: Various locations
Typical Run: Three to six miles, with speedwork on Tuesdays
Membership Fee: $25 for an individual and $40 for a family
Your Pace or Mine?
When: Saturdays at 7:30 a.m.
Where: Location is only visible to Meetup group members.
Typical Run: Varies
Membership Fee: None
Running groups in South Jersey
Black Men Run
When: Saturdays at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Weequahic Park Track (1 Thomas Carmichael Drive) in Newark
Typical Run: Varies
Membership Fee: None
Burlington Running Club
When: Thursdays at 6:30pm and some weekends
Where: Third State Brewing (352 High Street) in Burlington
Typical Run: Three to four miles
Membership Fee: None
Jersey Shore Running Club
When: Various days and times
Where: Various locations in Belmar, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, and more
Typical Run: Three to 10 miles, with distance runs on Sundays up to 22 miles
Membership Fee: $15 for a yearlong membership or $42 for 36 months
Pineland Striders
When: Various days and times
Where: Varies
Typical Run: Between four and 10 miles
Membership Fee: $10
Road Runners Club of Woodbury
When: Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Woodbury Creek Park in Woodbury
Typical Run: Three miles
Membership Fee: None
Run856
When: The second and fourth Mondays of every month at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Running Co. of Haddonfield (121 Kings Highway East)
Typical Run: Three to five miles
Membership fee: None
South Jersey Athletic Club
When: Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7:30 a.m. (The Sunday start time moves up to 7 a.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day.)
Where: Running Co. of Haddonfield (121 Kings Highway East)
Typical Run: Varies
Membership Fee: $20
If you don’t see your tribe on the list, feel free to send the details to mfischer@phillymag.com.
