How to Find a Running Group

While most runners enjoy a peaceful, meditative run once in a while, most of the time they prefer to run with a group. The miles fly by as conversation and banter totally occupy the runners. Each group run becomes an inviting social event. The mind is nurtured by time spent with friends while the body reaches greater fitness. Not that is a bargain, but how does one go about finding a running group?

Most cities have many running groups. When someone asks me about running groups in our area, I can steer them to as many as twenty different groups of runners that meet at various times in a variety of locations.

Here are some ways to find a running group in your area:

Join a local running club. To find one, ask at local running shoe stores or Google the name of your city and the words 'running' and 'club.' Ask at your local running shoe store if they sponsor any running groups. Most do; however, the members may be faster than you want to run. Don't be afraid to ask about the demographics of the group; tell them your speed. They want you to be a happy, contented, injury-free runner, so they will usually provide good guidance. Search in your local paper. Many have health and fitness sections that list local running groups. Check at your local YMCA's. Many sponsor group runs that are either free or close to it. If you are a member of a gym, ask there. Ask other runners you run into on the trails. Post a note on a bulletin board at trail heads. Check online for a running meetup group. If there is not one, start one. Ask the cross-country coach at a nearby high school. Ask at local pubs. This may be a surprise, but pub runs are becoming quite popular. In my city several pubs sponsor weekly runs; then runners return to the pub for a beer, dinner, and, of course, socializing. Ask at recreation centers. Go to the Road Runner Clubs of America website, and find a coach in your area. Most running coaches have their own groups, as I do, but even if they don't, they should be a good resource to help you find a group.

Friends magnify your emotions. They just do. So, if you enjoy running, imagine how much you'll enjoy it with a group of running friends. They will change your life in other ways, too. One of the people in my beginner running group recently commented that she joined my group because her social group's main entertainment was going out to dinner, and she realized that just wasn't doing her any good. She had gained some weight and knew this was part of the problem.

She wisely reasoned that her life needed a new, healthier focus. She joined my running group, and now she is spending time with other people who are also interested in a healthy lifestyle.