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.

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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

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.

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