One of the best ways to explore New York City is on foot. And while many travelers enjoy walking tours and strolls, there’s another great option: running groups. The New York City running community has a presence throughout the five boroughs, and crews all over the City welcome visitors and interested locals to join them for a workout.
The clubs represent the City’s makeup: the LGBTQ+ community; Black and Latino populations; those focused on supporting Chinatown or other neighborhoods in need; people of every fitness level. Running groups have long existed in New York City but their popularity has exploded over the past few years, in part fueled by the pandemic. “During lockdown the City developed a deep camaraderie within different neighborhoods of people helping others to cope. Taking walks with friends to just get out of the house turned into running with a local group,” says Troy Johnson, founder of the Soca Run Club and Festival.
Running groups also use their platforms for activism and education. “Runners are looking to find people who align with their sense of purpose, and there’s a place for everyone,” says Kelly Roberts, founder of Badass Lady Gang.
Read on for a list of diverse running groups, then grab your sneakers and hit the streets.
Meet-up locations and times are given for each club; joining a run is free unless otherwise stated.
Courtesy, Badass Lady Gang
Brooklyn Running Company, 480 Bergen St., Park Slope, Brooklyn, Tuesdays at 6pm
If you’re looking to get in some speed work and run in Brooklyn’s iconic Prospect Park, join the Badass Lady Gang for an evening workout. You’ll meet at Brooklyn Running Company in Park Slope and then head up to Grand Army Plaza—the lively entrance to Prospect Park—for half a mile to a mile of up-tempo runs.
“Badass Lady Gang was created to help connect women so we can find joy in the struggle. We’re a very different type of running group. We’re just as accessible to brand-new runners who can’t run down the block as we are to marathoners. We like to say we’re a community first and a fun workout second,” says
Prospect Park, Brooklyn, Tuesdays at 7pm (second Tuesday of the month at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6); Central Park, Manhattan, Wednesdays at 7pm & Saturdays at 10am
Front Runners New York is a running club and multisport group that was founded for people who identify as LGBTQ+, but you don’t have to be part of the community to run with them. “Everybody is welcome…we have many allies that are a part of our group. And as one of the largest clubs in the City, we have people of all paces and levels of running, so it’s easy to find someone to run with,” says
Run for Chinatown. Photo: Kai Ng
69 Mulberry St., Chinatown, Manhattan, Mondays at 6:30pm (depart at 7pm)
In 2020, line cook
The following spring, Yu and his running coach,
Group runs start and end in Chinatown and cover 3–4 miles at a conversational pace. You’ll have the chance to stop at scenic spots along the route and maybe even share a post-run meal at a Chinatown restaurant.
The Hustle Barbershop, Kew Gardens, Queens, Sundays at 7am & Tuesdays at 7pm; Victory Field, Forest Park Track, Queens, Thursdays at 6:30am
Run Hustle Run originally began in 2016 when
Courtesy, Soca Run Club and Festival
Meet-up location varies, Mondays & Tuesdays at 6:30pm
After completing the 2017 Rock ’n’ Roll New Orleans half marathon,
Thus the Soca Run Festival—a 5K run with an infusion of Caribbean carnival culture—was born. The club, meanwhile, meets regularly for two weekly runs that finish at local Black-owned businesses.
Astoria Track, Queens, Tuesdays at 7pm; Queens Bully, 113-30 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, Queens, Thursdays at 6:45pm
Head to Queens to run with Team Wepa, the energetic crew with the motto We Do It for Queens. The founder,
Boys & Girls High School Track, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Mondays at 7am; Central Park Reservoir, Manhattan, Tuesdays at 6:30am (7am in winter); Prospect Park, Brooklyn, Tuesdays at 6:15pm (mid-April to mid-November); The Brooklyn Circus, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, Thursdays at 6:15pm & Saturdays at 6:30am (7:30am in winter); The Armory Track, Washington Heights, Manhattan, Tuesdays at 6:45pm (mid-November to mid-April)
TeamWRK began the way many running groups do: with a small group of friends training together for a race. Now it has over 150 members who race all over the world. “People should join TeamWRK because there’s space for everyone. Whether you’re working on getting back in shape or trying to BQ [
Courtesy, We Run Uptown
Locksmith Bar, Washington Heights, Manhattan, Mondays at 7:15pm; The Chophouse, Inwood, Manhattan, Wednesdays at 7pm
In 2013, when
Join WRU for a run to get a real feel for Uptown Manhattan. “Most people that visit NYC don’t make it past Central Park, especially if they’re running. We’re giving folks a real running tour on what these neighborhoods look like every night,” says Mock.