The running world continues to be an exciting place and it is as popular as ever! According to data by statista.com, over 46 million people laced up their shoes for a run in 2023. WOAH! That’s like 15 times the amount of Iowans out there in the world to put it into a statistic that isn’t really relevant.

Many runners find themselves content to be on the trails alone and others like to find like minded people that enjoy the opportunity to burn more calories for more pizza. I find myself happy in either party as long as I can eat more food.

Running groups come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Kinda like us runners too. There are fast ones, casual ones, ones that run for beer and ones that run for sobriety, and everything in between.

My first running group as an adult was in Dublin and I can’t recall the name. We had a marathoner training to qualify for London, Dads trying to determine which spot was best to stop for a pint after, and a couple that was just as happy to walk in the back for the club run duration. I found myself in between the different speeds depending on the day and my desire for Guinness.

Luckily, for people searching for the right club, many are free to join. Which allows you to save a buck or two that you can put towards your weekly cheese curd budget (is that just me?). Or you can elect to find a group that hires a coach and provides specific workouts. If you are at the top level looking for a club, I honestly don’t have a recommendation for you because you are much faster than me and probably shouldn’t be looking at this blog for ideas.

Some of my favorite run clubs have been as little as a handful of people up to 50 out at a time. The 50 group definitely gives you confidence that shorty shorts and pale thighs are a hip look until you finish and the butt sweat is a different kind of look.

With the small groups, you find great support and most the time, people will chat with you as you run. Now, for some of us breathing hard as we run, it can be a welcome distraction to makes the miles breeze by. If it’s too hard to chat as you run, just ask the other person to tell you a story and you have some free entertainment to distract you as you go. If it’s a boring story, stop to tie your shoe or something and look for the next interesting person.

The run group that my wife and I are a part of is called the Fuego Run Club. It’s the perfect kind of group that supports people in getting their first 5k accomplishment in the books or going after longer distances. More importantly, there is a discount given on tacos after the run and I am happy to report, no limit is placed on the tacos. My belly is less happy about that fact.

FUEGO RUN CLUB!

Typically, our group does a run at either 1.5 miles or 3 miles. It depends if you take one or two loops. My group I run with includes my wife, myself, and whatever other guilty friends out there who didn’t follow their weekly diet looking for penance. Typically, this is just me.

For us, we enjoy the loops through the neighborhood and the rewards of dodging cars as the sun sets. So far, no injuries have occurred which means we have a successful run group. Our route gets a nice break from the road to enjoy the neighborhood park which is probably a lovely green area. Since we always run in the evening when it is dark, I have no idea what the area looks like. So in my head it’s a pretty nice.

Overall, if you are wanting a change and a chance to meet some interesting people, a run club can be a good way to go. If there isn’t one in your area, it may be a good opportunity to start the group! Bonus if you do because you get to choose whatever route that would be (I would recommend flat) and you can end at the food spot of your choice which is the real reason we run whether we admit it or not.

It’s a great time to be out with wonderful groups of people and one can find themself signing up for multiple groups to fit the different needs. For those located in Austin, Texas, it is great to use the resources of Austin Runner Clubs to find a group. If you ever find yourself over on the South side, come on over to Fuego Run Club and you will be greeted with open arms and a smile!

Do you have a running group you are a part of right now? What do you like about them?

Average Runner Paul