Why Running in Packs Isn’t Just for Wolves Anymore

Your high school’s cross-country kids are all grown up, and they’re taking over the streets of any major city near you. This time, though, there aren’t any try-outs or time trials to scare you off. Today’s running clubs are anything but exclusive, having recruited the speed walkers, light joggers, and everyone in between for the ride.

If you’re someone who rejects pain-seeking to any degree, the concept of human packs voluntarily congregating to run miles (yes, plural) might seem unfathomable. But, for some, the reward of group running—freedom, structure, and community—outweighs the stings of sore calves and belly cramps, and the benefits aren’t merely anecdotal.

Jim Stoppani, who holds a PhD in exercise and physiology from the University of Connecticut and is the founder of JYM Supplement Science, explains, “running imparts numerous health benefits,” including lower blood pressure to improved bone density. Over time, running can even make everyday tasks, such as cleaning the house, easier. That’s because it’s a form of endurance training, Dr. Stoppani tells The Daily Beast, which “allows muscles to do more work for longer periods of time.”

The perks of running aren’t limited to measurable health benefits. Just as importantly, running clubs strip the exclusivity of group fitness and remain accessible to all local citizens, regardless of socioeconomic status. “Running is the one thing that you can do whenever, wherever,” said Shani Storey, founder of The Breakfast Run Club in Portland, Oregon. “It’s free.”

Running clubs are community-based groups that meet once or multiple times a week to complete a designated route led by group organizers. These routes typically average around three miles and are often pace-inclusive, welcoming participants who prefer to walk, run, or alternate between the two. While running clubs are more commonly found in major cities like Seattle or Tampa, they’re by no means exclusive to metropolitan areas—smaller cities and towns host them too, though with less variety.

Step by step, these clubs are dismantling the myth that you need to be fast, flawless, or ultra-fit to call yourself a runner. “Walking doesn’t disqualify you,” noted Lay Seaton, founder of The Urban Run Club in Raleigh, North Carolina. Seaton says she “couldn’t run a mile without stopping” when she started her club; now, she’s training for half marathons.

“The goal itself is just being able to move,” said Angelo Sinchi, co-founder of Paso Run Club in New York City, “because movement is a privilege.” In a world where time, money, and physical ability often act as barriers to a healthy lifestyle, these clubs carve out space for people to show up and prioritize their fitness and a sense of community.

The Urban Run Club’s work goes beyond “just the physical,” said Seaton, something that many other running clubs are doing as well. It provides seminars on meal preparation and nutrition, fosters accountability for personal fitness goals, and helps members carve out time for consistent workouts amid busy schedules.

Urban Run Club was built to be “intentionally Black,” said Seaton, explaining that Black people are “predisposed to certain health conditions—heart conditions specifically.” Encouraging fitness and mindfulness within the run club as a method of collective care. Dr. Stoppani explains that consistent running helps “manage and prevent” conditions such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and type II diabetes, making the emphasis on proactive, community-rooted wellness all the more vital. Welcoming children to participate alongside their parents builds on that ethos, making movement a family affair and reinforcing healthy habits early, not just as prevention, but as empowerment.

Sinchi’s Paso Run Club uplifts a similar focus on the Latino community in New York City. “Our community is not represented as much,” Sinchi explains, because running circles “are not really accessible to them.” In cultivating spaces for underrepresented communities in the fitness sector, co-founder Evelyn Amendano hopes to spread the message to her community and, beyond that, the notion that “our bodies are able to do so much more if we just push past our limits.”

In addition to a similar goal of community building, the Breakfast Run Club sought to address the safety concerns women experience when running alone. “I wanted the club to be a safe space for us to run,” she says, adding, “being a woman and running by yourself can be super scary.” Women who run alone can face harassment, stalking, or, in the most extreme cases, abduction and/or murder. The most notable example is the 2024 death of Laken Riley, a young woman who was found dead after not returning from her morning run, highlighting the issue of safety as a constant concern for women during workouts, particularly in outdoor spaces.

Fitness circles like these work to bridge gaps in representation, offering comfort in numbers and consistency for women to show up for themselves weekly in working out. Since “life is already co-ed,” says Storey, microcommunities focused on women can provide a sense of security that is otherwise not guaranteed.

Most run clubs seek to build community outside of each respective run, as well. Paso Run Club has hosted salsa nights and partnered with local NYC cafés for coffee meetups. Urban Run Club organizes volunteer opportunities and block parties. Socially, these clubs serve as entry points for locals looking to reconnect with their city or newcomers hoping to plant roots.

Movement can be both a personal practice and a collective act. As Amendano puts it, these running groups underscore that “it’s you and one foot in front of the other,” whether that be through fitness or friendships.