So sometimes people ask me for advice about joining a New York City running club. For those of you who don’t know, in NYC the New York Road Runners serves as an umbrella organization, organizing most races including the ING NYC Marathon, and then most runners also choose to belong to a smaller club.
When I first moved to New York City in 2000, I lived in Astoria, so it was easy to choose: I joined the excellent Astoria-based Hellgate Road Runners. But once I moved to Manhattan in 2002 I found the number of options overwhelming. I visited several different club’s websites often to try to figure out the “best” one, but never managed to make a decision, and ended up training for the NYC Marathon in 2003 on my own. I didn’t join the Flyers until late 2005. This is very silly, as there are numerous benefits to joining a club: training partners, group runs, speedwork sessions, discounts on merchandise, camaraderie, cocktail parties and happy hours, and even the occasional scenic run through Westchester County.
But other people get paralyzed by the number of choices, too. (The NYRR web site lists around 150 running clubs). One woman I talked to told me she even went to far as to make a spreadsheet to compare various clubs. The problem is is that you can get so bogged down in all this research and never actually make a decision.
So here is my advice to people. First, don’t overthink things. There really isn’t one “best” club, so don’t do too much research or think you have to go on every team’s group run to pick which one is right for you. If you join a team and end up making some friends, you’ll probably be happy, but that takes a little time.
Second, don’t think that because you’re paying more you’re getting anything extra. The NYRR, Urban Athletics, the Running Center and other organizations offer speedwork classes that are much more expensive than the speedwork classes offered by nonprofit running clubs. (Speedwork is interval running designed to make you faster.) Those organizations charge between $90-$200 for 10 weeks of classes, or even as much as $35 a session, while a running club will charge maybe $100 a year or include it with the nominal cost of membership. I mean, it’s just running, it doesn’t cost a lot to organize, right? You get what you put into it, and it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to design a good workout.
Anyway, after the jump, my impressions of some of the NYC clubs:
- New York Flyers. This is my club. The Flyers is the biggest NYC club, with I think over
200650 members, and it makes an effort to be inclusive to both faster and slower runners. The average age of members is a slightly over 40, I believe, but there are plenty of younger members. The team organizes a lot of training runs outside the city, in Westchester County, etc., that are really nice and pretty. (and free, you just have to chip in for gas/gatorade). There’s also frequent social events, happy hours, etc. - The Reservoir Dogs. They have like 70 active members and I think is a more younger club. They make a real effort to recruit slower members, but they do have a number of fast runners. “If you are an elite runner and want to be challenged by your teammates on a daily basis,” they say on their Web site, “then we are probably not the club for you.” They also hold brunches and happy hours. I have some friends on this club as well and they all like it.
- Harriers. They have about 150 active members and also do social events. It is a fairly serious club as far as running goes, but they do have some slower members. Their web site says, “The Harriers love to run hard and to race well, but have no interest in being subjected to hard-core, traditional methods of coaching. That is, some Harriers don’t respond well to being ordered around by anyone (some of us have, in fact, been accused by former coaches of being ‘uncoachable rebels!’ … a fact of which we are most proud).” If I weren’t a member of the Flyers, this would probably by the club I’d join.
- Central Park Track Club. I don’t know as much about this club, but I do know it is pretty highly competitive and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re a serious runner. They also do less in the way of social events, if that’s something you’re looking for in a running club.
- Greater New York Running Club (no Web site). This is Bob Glover’s club and again it is for v. serious runners. I think it may be invitation-only? I have heard that while Glover is a good coach, his personality is perhaps a little rough around the edges.
- Running Divas. Formerly Moving Comfort. Women-only, I believe invitation-only as well. And very competitive. They are sponsored by Running Divas the clothing company, so get free gear.
- Warren Street Social & Athletic Club. I don’t know very much about this club, but do see members at races. Their Web site says, “We have always welcomed everyone from the non-runner to the very fast. Warren Street offers no cost membership, coaching and best of all, camaraderie!”
There are a number of other good NYC clubs but they are all specialized in some way: either based in the outer boroughs, like Hellgate, the College Point Track Club and the Staten Island Athletic Club; company-based clubs like the firefighters and United Nations; or with a non-geographically based community like Polish runners, gay and lesbian runners, or Mexican runners. (The Los Compadres Team; I frequently tend to run neck-in-neck with a few of their runners in races).
P.S. For the average Manhattan-based runner who runs 10Ks in like eight or nine minutes per mile, I’d recommend either the Flyers or the Rez Dogs. The Flyers have our speedwork sessions on Tuesday night; the Rez Dogs on Wednesday. If you’re faster than that than maybe the Flyers or the Harriers?
P.P.S. (4/6/2011): I’m happy to answer specific questions in the comments. But if you want to know when different clubs meet, you can find that information on each clubs’ website. Don’t ask me that! Do your own research! And kinda the point of this post is that there’s no “best” club… and really, it’s not like I could even say that the clubs have any specific “personality.” It’s not like one club is filled with Wall Street types and another with artsy ones. The Flyers always have lots of people joining and dropping out each year; there’s constant “churn,” and I assume that is the case with the other clubs. So my advice is, if you’ve read this entire post and read the comments, and there’s a couple of clubs that seem equally convenient as far as when they meet… don’t overthink this! Just toss a coin! Don’t let yourself be paralyzed by choice!
P.P.P.S. (8/16/2011): I’m also quite impressed with the Williamsburg-based North Brooklyn Runners, who didn’t even exist when I wrote this piece and now are quite a formidable and well-organized team. The Dashing Whippets, a Meetup-based running club, is also worth noting, too. Ahhh, the power of social media…
P.P.P.P.S. I’ve quit the Flyers and am now running with North Brooklyn Runners. They are a great group, a little more “hardcore” than the Flyers, and full of interesting personalities.
I sometimes run with the Joe (the art of coffee) running club — they meet on Saturdays at 10 at the Waverly St. location. I should say run behind them — I’m slow.
I am preparing for my first Half Marathon that is in Chicago on August 10th. I have been using the book “Run Less, Run Faster” as a guide to how to train. One thing I know that I am really neglecting is how I eat. Any suggestions of what I should be eating? Not only daily, but before and after I run? Thanks!
Uh, why did you put a spam link in your URL field? I deleted it. Taking a chance and assuming you are a real person, my old coach at Crossfit recommended some books on diet and nutrition here.
You’re really not going to increase your half-marathon performance by what you eat, I think. Unless you are really skinny, losing weight may make you faster, though. (Try running with 10 lbs. weights to see what I mean).
Derek:
The New York Flyers has over 650 active members, not 200. The average age is exactly 40 so that was a very good guess.
Hey Derek: It’s interesting that you have about the most info. I can find out about Running Divas! There is no website, the sponsor (Running Divas) has no idea how to contact any of the members, which I find rather strange if they’re at all interested in growing the club and gaining more exposure via its members running in their gear. I found the old contact for Moving Comfort but got no response, and MetroSports still advertises the club as Moving Comfort New York, with its no-longer-existing website, and a non-working e-mail address for the contact!
Well written, I belong to Harriers. I don’t recommed Central Park Track Club as they are the idiots who run the “wrong way” around central park and try to take up the entire running lane, so unless you want to be elbowed by people running the “correct way” don’t join this group.
I hate to run alone. Looking for a group this Saturday to run ten miles. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Dawn
I have never run, and have no idea whether I’m capable of running a mile or only a few blocks…do I join a running club, or would I just be frustrating them and embarrassing myself? I could use some guidance and motivation to get started, but is that the way to go? Wondering what a club’s level of tolerance is for someone who really doesn’t know what they’re doing…
Thanks.
Hmmm. I feel like non-competitive clubs like the Flyers and the Reservoir Dogs are going to be encouraging as long as you try. But on the other hand if you come to a group run and can’t actually run more than a mile, you will just get left behind. (Well, maybe someone will make sure you are not having a heart attack or something). I’d say maybe hold off until you can actually run like four or five miles, even slowly. As for guidance, it really isn’t really rocket science — just go run! Make it a daily habit (five or six time a week) for at least half an hour (hopefully 40 minutes), even if you have to walk for some of it. Maybe once or twice a week, try doing intervals where you are running as hard as you can for four minutes, then walking for two. The first two weeks will really suck, but it gets better…
Trin, you could try programs at the Running Center, they have a beginning running program …
http://www.therunningcenter.com/GroupTraining/BeginnersProgram.cfm
At $525, they are WAY more expensive than the Flyers … our dues are like $25 a year. But if you are looking for motivation and guidance, it might be worth it… not that I think you need coaching to become a runner, you can just run and teach yourself. But that is one option that is out there for you.
Thanks for the tips! Will take your advice and work on my own toward the 4-5 mile mark before joining a group. Friends have also suggested starting with the Niketown open group runs, saying there are lots of slower/beginner runners.
Thanks again!
Yeah, I imagine the Niketown runs would be good. I think the CPTC coaches their runs. Trin I think you should work hard and set a goal of joining a running club by late October … the NYC Marathon is Nov. 1 and that is always a fun and inspiring time to be a member of a NYC running club, with lots of social events and opportunities for volunteering and meeting other club members.
I would be VERY happy if I could work up to 4 miles by end of Oct. Re: inspiration, all my co-workers are triathletes or half-marathoners, now training for Philly marathon…going to their races the past two years is what finally got me thinking about running myself! Good luck in the marathon if you’re in!
I’d love to join a club, but my problem is that I live in lower Manhattan (and work in NJ). It seems like all the clubs in Manhattan meet and run in Central Park. I ran for with Urban Athletics last season downtown, but they are costly! Do you know of any (non-profit) clubs that meet at least once a week downtown, by any chance?
I did the exact same thing you did Stephanie, ran with Urban Athletics in 2008… and yeah, they’re just too pricey to stick with. I know that on Mondays there are a group of Flyers that meet on 13th St and Eighth Ave (Pocket Park) for a six-mile loop along the Hudson … but that’s not really downtown. Same with Joe the Art of Coffee group that runs in the West Village. Downtown for me means below Canal Street!
The best I can suggest is that last summer I know Nike had a marathon training group that would run Saturday mornings starting from their little running shack near Chambers Street and the West Side Highway. I think they charged $26.20 for the season. But the shack is closed for the winter.
I own a coffee shop in the west village,on 11th street , by the river.
I just started a running group, we meet at the cafe (11TH STREET CAFE
327 west 11th street between Washington and Greenwich street)
on wednesdays at 5 pm and saturday at 1 pm. Former elite runner
Amanda Russell is helping me with the group. Everybody is welcome to
join us for 1, 2, 3, 8,15 miles…….
You can become a fan of 11TH STREET CAFE on facebook and get all the updates.
I just moved to Manhattan and live on the Upper East side around the 60’s. I’ve been running for a while but have been suffering from runners knee the past few months. After seeing a physical therapist I’m almost ready to start back up and am interested in joining a running team that’s not too competitive, around my area and has some people around my age(20). My goal is to run the ING 2010 NYC marathon but I also want to join a team because I love running and also would love to meet new people who enjoy it too! If anyone has any suggestions for a team I’d really appreciate it, Thanks!
Gosh, I don’t know clubs where the members are that young, I’m afraid… not that you wouldn’t be welcome at the Flyers, but you said you were looking for people your own age. You could check the race results on NYRR.org, search via team and see which club had some young members. (I just did that, briefly, with the Run for Haiti – but neither the Flyers nor the Reservoir Dogs had anyone as young as 20… )
Yeah, Veronica after looking at some race results — there are people in their early 20s who run NYRR races, but for whatever reason very few of them join running clubs. But whatever, we are a friendly bunch, so don’t let that stop you. Given where you live and that you want a less-competitive club, I’d join either the Flyers or the Reservoir Dogs. And like I said earlier, don’t let yourself get paralyzed with indecision trying to make a choice. There’s good people in both clubs and there’s no way to tell whom you’ll click with as friends unless you go. Just flip a coin if you can’t decide.
Stephanie, I see that Lululemon Soho (481 Broadway, between Broome and Grand streets) hosts group runs on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. I might go to one and report back.
http://www.lululemon.com/newyork/soho/events/
hi. for some reason i just saw an old post of your about emily wax. did you know that it was her article about the ethiopian girl runners who inspired our organization, girls gotta run? check it out. maybe you can help us raise some funds in new york! 🙂
pat
Haha, I don’t know if my little blog has that much pull! But I checked out your website — do you ever have any events in New York? (or are you in new york?) I’d be interested in coming and getting a good blog-post about this … obviously a subject i am interested in!
I’ve heard more negative things about Bob Glover than I could have imagined. I wanted to take the NYRRC classes and too many runners have quietly mentioned his screaming at and actual physical abuse of other runners in the park. I wanted to get better and meet people. I didn’t want to be with some coach who gets into fights with other runners. I will find another way to run and get better. Why is he so looney??
Y’know what “Newbie”? First of all, don’t be a friggin’ coward. If you’re going to write negative stuff about someone, sign your name.
And I think it’s just weird to be passing such harsh judgment on someone (“so looney”) you’ve apparently never met. I haven’t met him either, although I’ve also heard that he can be quite difficult. But at the same time, GNY gets a lot of runners and NYRR uses him as their coach year after year. Obviously some people find his coaching valuable.
And really don’t a lot of good coaches have kinda prickly personalities? Bobby Knight? Demanding excellence is a tricky thing…
Dear Derek,
You sound as looney as Bob Glover. If you take time to think (something that seems to elude you) about the word looney, one would realize it is not a negative word. Words such as jerk or asshole, two words which are on the “kind word list” that Bob pulls from. When my friend told me he consistently throws the “F-Bomb” at other runners, one again can safely say that is a negative word.
But looney describes his and your behavior, which one can deem as bizarre (to say the least). Hitting other runners and cursing at them would be considered bizarre as well as looney.
I am available for dating as well as teaching you the basics in reference to the English language.
Rosalie
Eh, Merriam-Webster defines looney as “crazy, foolish.” Sounds kinda negative to me.
But moving on … I still say if you haven’t met someone, it’s a little weird to have such a strong impression of them. This is all stuff you (apparently) haven’t seen for yourself; it’s just gossip. And really, the hitting allegation is potentially libelous unless you can prove it is true. I’m not trying to be Bob Glover’s defender here, but I’m just sayin’, y’know?
Whatever happened to giving someone the benefit of the doubt until you’ve actually met them? In my experience, people have their flaws, yes, but they’re usually more than just one-dimensional caricatures…
Hi! Thanks for posting so much information Derek. All these run clubs are indeed quite overwhelming for someone who is just moving to New York. I have moved to UWS and would like to find a group to run with, but only have Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s available for long runs. Such is the life of a nanny. Do you know of any group that runs during the week, preferably a 25-30 cohort? Thanks.
Pretty much all these groups run during the week. I’m not sure if I can promise exactly 25 to 30 runners; it varies with the weather, but I think they all get a pretty good turnout.
The Flyers have group runs in Central Park at 7pm Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 6 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Saturday at 9 am. and then speedwork (interval drills) at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. Also a run Mondays in Chelsea as well. http://nyflyers.org/training/cal.html
The Harriers have speedwork on Wednesday nights, a tempo run Friday nights and a Sunday morning long run. The Reservoir Dogs have runs Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and Thursday and Saturday mornings.
A little late to the party but here’s my impression of coach Bob Glover. I took an advanced NYRR class last summer and he was our main coach. He can be a little prickly when you approach him one-on-one, but he was very encouraging and motivating as a coach.
Hi Derek,
Cheers for all this useful information! I just recently relocated to NYC and am eager to start running again. I’d like to get early morning runs in if possible, and would be keen to run a combination of these groups schedule permitting. Do you know where the Harriers meet on their Sunday morning long run (and time) and where the Flyers meet in Central Park in the evenings at 7p? I’d like to hop on in on this starting tomorrow (Sunday). I’d also be very keen on joining a group that organizes runs outside of town in more natural spaces, if you can recommend how to get an events calendar/email signup for this, that would be great!
Thanks for the great work and hope to meet you running sometime!
Hey Stephanie — All that information is on both groups’ websites! You can find the URLs listed above. The Flyers have had several v. nice long runs organized outside the city this fall; I’m not sure what else is on the calendar though. It is getting late in the season and anyone who is doing an early marathon like Chicago has already started their taper. But check out the Flyers’ events calendar on our homepage.
hey sorry for taking this convo on a slight tangent but im looking to join a running club for fun and to meet women in the age group 20-30. do u recommend one group over the other? thanks
Nitin: No, I really don’t. I mean you can read my recommendations in the post. If by “fun” you mean you are looking for a club with a lot of social events, like I said, the Harriers, the Flyers or the Reservoir Dogs all fit the bill. And all those groups have women members — maybe not so much in their early 20s, but certainly mid to late 20s. The Reservoir Dogs are probably the youngest team, but they’re also not as big.
Basically I like my club, the Flyers, but it’d be self-serving to recommend it over the others. I think all those clubs are good. Lastly, if you’re looking to join a club for dating purposes … I mean, that does go on and I certainly understand wanting to date people with similar interests. But none of these clubs are THAT big or have that many single members, y’know?
Hi,
I have just moved to New York and I am running the Virgin London Marathon in April. I am getting bored of running by myself and am looking to run with people a similar age to me. I am 21 and see from previous posts that there is not much available for predominantly this age. Reservoir Dogs seem to all be around 30, is that the best choice for me?
Thanks
Hey James, yeah, there’s really not that much around that age. For whatever reason guys your age just really aren’t into running. I just did a search on the NYRR website; for the Kleinerman 10K last weekend, there were 78 men aged 20-24 racing it … compared to 469 men aged 30-34, and 376 men aged 25-29. Even in the 50-54 and 55-59 age brackets than there were guys running than men your age. Very similar results for the Race to Deliver four-miler a few weeks ago.
I’m not going to get into telling anyone what their “best choice” is! At the Flyers we have several v. active women runners in their mid-20s who seem very comfortable running with the old fogies. TRD has some runners in their 20s and some in their 40s and 50s.
Hey – I’m in search of a Running Club. I can only run mornings, and Central Park is perfect. Generally looking for a somewhat-competitive club, but also social atmosphere as well. I’m in my late 20s, running Halfs in about 1:40. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Other than all the thoughts I’ve laid out here? No. What more could I say other than what I’ve already said?
So glad you posted this!! I live in Miami, and I’m heading up to NYC for the summer so I didn’t know where to start. I’m brand new to running, only 2-3 months now, and by no means an athlete (doing like 15 min miles right now), so I’m going to dig thru your list to see where to start. Thanks!
Hey Derek!
How often do the Flyers meet? In Manhattan? Or do you meet all over? I live in Queens. I’m considering a club to join. I was thinking the Flyers or Harriers. I’d love to run in a fun social environment but also with people serious about training. I’ve been running own my own but yeah I’d like to work with a group because it would offer benefits speedwork and such.
I think there’s as many as five or six different Flyer group runs a week… But yes mostly in central park, except for one starting at 13th street. Check the website for more. There are a couple different Queens-based clubs if you want to run in your borough….
Hey,Derek:Great information.I used to be an avid runner and I’m just getting back to it. I run about three times a week.I’m 45 years old and can still run,but my cardio is not evern as close to what it used to be.I’m looking to join a runners club and eventually compete a higher level.I was interested in Team In Training.Do you have any info on them?
Team in Training is not really what I would consider a running club. They are a charity program. You agree to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and in exchange get free coaching, a race number, and perhaps even free airfare and lodging. There are a lot of other charity programs like TNT, although they are probably the most well known. My “issue” these kinds of charity programs isn’t really specific to TNT: I just don’t like asking my friends and family for money. To raise $2,500 or so I think you have to be fairly pushy, unless you have really wealthy colleagues or clients. I know one friend who thought it would be easy, but after raising the first $1,200 or so ended up having to do guest bartender stints and other stuff to raise the dough. I’m sure there are some people who find it all very meaningful but I would rather just pay for my entry fee, my training and my marathon trips myself and let my friends give to charity on their own. Also I kinda think running should be pure and done for its own sake. Running for the point of running. However whatever rocks your boat…
Thanks for the information Derrek. I was not aware of the amount needed to be raised,TNT doesn’t mention this on their web-site. I’ve been looking at several club sites and have gone out for a speed workout with LuluLemon Athletica.All of the runners were young and I felt out of place. I’m looking into running with people closer to my age,even though it was a challenge considering my age compared to theirs.
I’m not sure if that is the exact amount, but it’s in that ballpark for the NYC marathon. More for out-of-town events where you are getting free airfare and lodging. As I mentioned before the average age of the Flyers is around 40.
Also if you go to nyrr.org and look up race results from the Aug. 6 Team Championships race you can view results by team — it will list the individual runners for each club and their ages. For example, here are the male Reservoir Dogs runners that ran that day. That will give you a good idea of the size of each club and the ages.
Hi Derek, i live on the upper east side and im looking for a beginners running group but early in the morning starting at at least by 7am.Do you have any suggestions.I have a 10 month old and have to be home by 9am. Thanks
I know the Flyers have some 6 a.m. runs, and the NYRR has 6:30 a.m. runs.
http://www2.nyrr.org/about/community/group_runs.asp
http://nyflyers.org/training/cal.html
If you do the Flyer run you might want to email just to be certain it is on, as I think attendance does go down during the winter. Well actually I’m not sure as I never done that run.
Thanks for all the info. I’m a long time runner but have never run in a group before.. Is it strongly discouraged to run with ipod / headphones in the group? Do people do it? Also – any other good groups that meet downtown? I see most groups have at least one Hudson River downtown run, but looking for a group with most runs downtown. thanks
It’s kinda anti-social, don’t you think? To hang out in a group and then wear headphones? I haven’t seen many people do it….the fun part of running with other people is, y’know, enjoying their company and maybe making a new friend or two. But I don’t think anyone is going to say anything to you about it or anything. I live downtown too, by city hall… I don’t think there is such a group, unfortunately. Let me know if you find anything!
hah! well, yes, but I’m social before and after the run… During, I like to tune out and run at a decent pace that makes conversation unpleasant. So I guess a group is probably not the best for me. I still may try it out and will let you know if I find something downtown. thanks
Okay, fair enough! 😉 I did do the Monday night Flyer runs I mentioned in my Feb 16, 2010 comment, for most of that year. I would run from my apartment up to the run, and then generally break away from the group when it passed my studio and do a 8:15 p.m. yoga class for a good workout. It was a good group… in the winter there’s only a handful of people doing it, but around 20 in the summer — including some quite speedy runners. (I think the main pace is around 8:30-ish, I’m guessing). I would still do this, but it doesn’t fit into my work schedule at the moment.
The Urban Athletics speed workouts at the World Financial Center are always another option, esp. if you like hard runs … I did one training session last year. They have new people running it and they gave me some good advice on running form. However it is a little pricey to do year-round, I think around $175 or so for 10 sessions.
Lately I have just started going to the North Brooklyn Runners’ Thursday night speed workouts in Williamsburg … it takes me 45 minutes to get there, which isn’t really ideal, but the workouts are free and good and hard, and it’s a nice group of people who go out for beers afterward.