4 Reasons You Should Join a Run Club

Nov 14, 2025

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Joining a run club can be intimidating. I’ve been the runner that rocks up to a group not knowing anyone, not knowing who is in charge, and feeling my introverted self take over and keep me from introducing myself to anyone.

When I first moved to Chicago, I joined Fleet Feet Racing Team for a Wednesday night workout and always joke that I got “picked up in a parking lot” by my friend Arielle. We found ourselves running next to each other during the warm up and thankfully she said hi to me and asked me my name (because you know I wasn’t going to go first). We chatted the whole run and were fast friends. I probably would have gone the whole run without saying anything to anyone had she not been there. I’m lucky she was.

Walking up to a new group of people and introducing yourself can just feel scary, ya know? But here’s why I think you should feel the fear and do it anyway.

In no particular order, 4 reasons I think you should join a run club and a bit why I started mine:

You’ll make friends.

I can wholeheartedly say that I have met people who changed my life through running. Run clubs are a great way to make friends (as long as it’s a welcoming bunch). I promise you there will always be another newbie there, so don’t be afraid to try it out. Introduce yourself. And don’t expect to be super close with people right away, but over time I think your run club relationships can become really close friend relationships. Listen to people when they tell you things, try to remember to ask them how that concert was next week, or if they liked that new restaurant they said they were trying. It’s the little things that go a long way and if you’re seeing people weekly there’s always things to catch up on when you run together.

With Coastal Run Co, our first stranger who attended was Amy, and she was nervous to try it out back in March 2023. Fast forward to this year, 7 of us who met through our run club rented a house together in the UK to attend her and Matt’s wedding. Lifelong friendships that never would have happened had she not made the decision to come join us for a run. I’ll always be grateful that she did.

You’ll get out of bed in the morning or go after work instead of finding the couch.

Accountability is a big reason to join a run club. We all know what it’s like to turn off that alarm in the morning when you intended to run, but your bed was too comfortable. Or you’re catching the train after work and go straight to your couch instead of lacing up your running shoes like you planned. If you’re planning for a solo run, it’s easier to bail on yourself, BUT if you’re planning a group run and have people counting on you to show up, you’re more likely to go. Knowing you’d have to text people to let them know you won’t make it is sometimes enough of a barrier that you decide to go anyway. Plus, if you’re really not feeling it, chatting to people while you run will take your mind off it and you may end up feeling better for it.

You’ll gain confidence in your running.

If you’re new to running, getting into a consistent running routine is the best thing you can do for yourself. Week after week, you’ll feel more confident in your ability to run with the group. If you’re a seasoned runner, running with people faster than you can make you faster. Sometimes you need that extra push to run a pace you may think is a little bit scary, and having others around you running that pace is the best motivation. You’ll notice yourself getting faster each week if you stick with it. Consistency and getting out of your comfort zone should increase your confidence.

You’ll be inspired.

I can almost guarantee you will hear a story that inspires you or meet a person who inspires you on your weekly run club runs. Everyone has been through things and has a story for why they started running in the first place. I’ve always found running to be a great place to open up, share stories, and connect to other people. Ask people about themselves, ask them why they started running, ask them if they’re training for anything. You’ll be surprised by what you learn. And a bonus: maybe you’ll end up wanting to train for a race that some of your running buddies are training for. That could inspire you to sign up, work hard, and make a weekend out of a race with your newfound friends.

I started a run club, Coastal Run Co, in February 2023 for all of the reasons above, but also as a way to feel included. I felt lost leaving my Chicago running friends and moving to Australia where I didn’t know anyone except Kyle. I tried a few run clubs those first few years I lived here, but nothing really clicked. They all felt either too established, or too focused on speed. I had a coach and was training for races on my own, so I was really just after a social run once a week to chat and grab a coffee and meet some new people. It can feel daunting to show up somewhere where you don’t know anyone, so when Kyle and I created Coastal Run Co we wanted it to always feel as welcoming as possible. When you join us, we will ask you your name, we will ask you how long you’ve been in Sydney, we’ll introduce you to other runners and you’ll have people chatting to you as we make our way to Bronte.

We’ve had runners who join us every week and have lived in Bondi for a decade, expats who moved to Sydney recently, and visitors here on holiday who just add our run club as a stop on their Bondi tour. Runners from Copenhagen, Mexico, Germany, United States, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Brazil, and more. We’ve met so many incredible people and my hope for you is that no matter which run club you join, or where you are in the world, you meet incredible people too.

Remember, everyone was new to the club at one point, so why not you?