Yesterday, I joined a running group for the first time in about 8 years. I’m generally a solo runner, as I enjoy the time alone to think, reflect, listen to podcasts and music, and quietly appreciate the scenery around me. However, I would also like to make some new friends and find renewed motivation, so I figured that finding a group to run with would be a good idea.

The first group runs I ever joined were hosted by Fleet Feet in Chicago. They were really informal, sociable, and friendly, and I loved having them on my calendar each week. When I decided to run my first marathon, having had such a great group run experience, I made the decision to join the Chicago Area Runners’ Association’s (CARA) summer training program, which turned out to be truly life-changing. Every Saturday morning during the summer of 2013, I biked the mile or so from my apartment in Lakeview up to Montrose Harbor, on Lake Michigan to join a group, and we’d do our long run together down the Lakefront Trail. It was during those long runs that I found the best four running friends I could’ve ever wished for. Together, we passed the miles away, sharing all our stories and weekend adventures, and my new friends shared all their marathon experience. One of the girls, Megan, turned out to be the best running friend in the world! Once that first marathon training experience was over, we spent countless weekends and weekday mornings running around Chicago. She took me to her favorite landmarks, and we shared all our secrets, vowing to ensure they always stayed out on our runs and would never be shared. Megan encouraged me as a runner, motivated me, and, having run several marathons herself, was an inspiration to me as I questioned whether or not I could/should run another race or get faster. I hope that one day, if I get the opportunity to return to live in Chicago, I’ll be able to persuade her to get in some more miles with me.

Through running with CARA and Fleet Feet in Old Town, I found that running with a group has so many benefits:

Motivation: Running with my first marathon group really taught me how others can provide motivation and encouragement. The camaraderie and shared goals kept me inspired to push myself harder and stay committed to my running routine. I wanted to run well each weekend, so I made sure to keep up my weekday runs, and I stopped going out late on Friday nights (and drinking cocktails).

Accountability: Knowing that others were expecting me to join them made it so much more likely that I would turn up for long runs and evening workouts. Even in the Chicago winters, I’d get outside for the promise of meeting up with others, and after long days at work, I was able to miraculously find the energy to head to Fleet Feet in Old Town for a group run.

Social Interaction: I met the most wonderful people in Chicago when I joined running groups. Sometimes I’d be running with the CARA long run groups, and other times, I’d be participating in a weekday run out of Fleet Feet. Regardless, I always cherished the company and had the opportunity to meet so many interesting and amazing people.

Friendship: Friendship is, hands down, the most incredible thing that running in a group has given me. Back in 2013, as a relatively recent arrival from the UK to Chicago, I found my community within the runners of the city. I met people I would otherwise never have known and have maintained many of my relationships even though I now live in Washington DC. I have so many shared experiences with running friends for which I’m incredibly thankful and that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. People were exceptionally kind to me when I was new; so inclusive, open, and willing to share their lives with me. I was invited to Friendsgivings, brunches, lunches, weekend long runs outside of the city, races… the list goes on and on.

Sense of Belonging: Having just moved from the UK to Chicago, I had been looking for a community to be a part of. The first time I walked into a Fleet Feet store, I had no idea of the power and strength of the running community. Over time, I learned that on any day, I could head there and join a group of friendly runners whose company I would enjoy. Dave Zimmer, the owner of the Fleet Feet stores in Chicago always says that ‘Running changes everything’, and in my case, he’s 100% correct. 

Improved Mental Health: Running with a group always gave me something to look forward to outside of work. Groups provided a welcome distraction and on good days, friends celebrated with me, and on bad days, they cheered me up. I always felt much lighter after a weekday run with friends.

Safety: As a female runner, safety is always at the top of my mind. Since moving to DC, I haven’t felt safe as a runner, especially during the dark winter nights. This has meant that I have limited running routes and often choose the treadmill over running outside. I appreciate running in a group, especially in dark, isolated areas or inclement weather, as I feel much safer. It’s also comforting to know that there are people around who can help out in case of an emergency.

Variety in Workouts: When I first started running, I didn’t know what a workout was and definitely had no idea how to plan one. I greatly benefited from learning from the coaches of the group runs that I joined at Fleet Feet. Running with the Racing Team there gave me my first insights into competitive running, allowing me to benchmark myself against others and learn from them as they trained and improved.

Competition and Challenge: I loved the friendly competition I had with other runners in Chicago, whether it be the last lap of a workout, a collective team goal in the Shamrock Shuffle, or a shared van in a Ragnar Relay. The running community pushed me to improve my performance, provided opportunities and motivated me to do better.

Knowledge Sharing: I knew very little about running until I joined a group in Chicago. I had no idea what to wear, especially in the frigid winters, how to fuel, how fast to run, how to run longer miles, or how to recover. Running in a group was the first time I was able to learn about these things from more seasoned runners, and they motivated me to want to learn more. After each of our runs, someone would lead a cool down, and I was able to learn how to stretch and increase my mobility.  Runners are known for being generous with their tips and advice, and almost everything I know today comes from people I met at group runs, or my own experience.

Given all of these wonderful benefits, yesterday I decided to join the DC Capital Striders for their long run from Dupont Circle. I had been looking for a group that met for enjoyment, not competition, and that wasn’t too far from home. Luckily, they only meet a mile and a half from our apartment, so I was able to run there and back easily. Yesterday was my first experience with them, and it was a really good start. I enjoyed our route; it took me out of my usual repetitious long run route, and people were friendly. I had hoped to stay for coffee afterward, but we had a prior commitment, so that will have to wait until next weekend – I’m already looking forward to it.