What Is a Run Club? How They Work in Los Angeles

The short answer

A run club is a group of people who meet at the same place and time every week to run together. There is usually no sign-up, no fee and no minimum pace. You show up at the meeting point, run a set route with the group, and often hang out afterwards.

In Los Angeles, run clubs have become one of the main ways people make friends outside of work. A weeknight run in Santa Monica or DTLA can draw a hundred people, while a Saturday trail group in Griffith Park might be a dozen regulars. Both are run clubs.

How a run club run works

Most runs follow the same pattern, whichever club you join:

1. Arrive 5 to 10 minutes early. People gather at a cafe, running store, park or landmark. If it is your first time, find whoever looks like they are in charge and say so.
2. A quick briefing. The run lead announces the route, the distance and any pace groups, and often asks first-timers to raise a hand.
3. The run. Usually two to five miles on weeknights. Bigger clubs split into pace groups; smaller ones regroup at corners and lights so nobody gets lost.
4. After. Stretching, photos, and often coffee, tacos or a brewery. This is where you actually get to know people.

Clubs post route changes and cancellations on Instagram, so follow the club before you go. Every club page in our directory links to it, along with the meeting point on a map.

Kinds of run clubs in LA

Clubs tend to lean one way or another. Knowing which helps you pick:

Social clubs

Easy pace, big groups, and a stop afterwards. The best place to start if you want to meet people. See all social run clubs in LA.

Training and competitive clubs

Track workouts, tempo runs and race prep, often with a coach. Good if you want to get faster or train for a marathon. See fast and competitive run clubs.

Running store and brand clubs

Hosted by a local running shop or a brand. Usually free, well organised, and sometimes with shoe demos or discounts.

Trail, beach, morning and evening clubs

LA has crews for every setting and time of day. There are beach run clubs along the coast, trail running clubs in the hills, and both morning and evening groups all week.

What it costs

Most LA run clubs are free. Of the clubs in our directory, the large majority charge nothing at all. A few charge a membership for coaching, track rental or race entries, and many of those keep a free weekly run. Our list of free run clubs shows every one.

The real costs are small: running shoes, a water bottle, and the coffee you will probably buy afterwards. Our running essentials guide covers what is worth having.

Run club, running group or team?

People use the words loosely. A run club or running group is open to anyone who shows up. A running team usually means a club that races together, sometimes with tryouts or dues. A training program is a paid, time-limited plan built around one race, such as a marathon. This directory lists open clubs.

Run club etiquette

• Introduce yourself to the run lead on your first night.
• Run no more than two side by side on busy paths, and single file on the beach bike path.
• Stop at red lights. Clubs wait at corners so the group stays together.
• Do not leave anyone alone at the back on a dark or unfamiliar route.
• Buy something at the host cafe or shop now and then. It is how many clubs stay free.