The running scene
in Chicago.

Logan Square · Tue, Thu, Sat · 6:30 PM

3RUN2

The crew that pioneered the community running model in Logan Square. Tuesdays run 5k/4mi/8k out of University Village, Thursdays 4mi/10k from Logan Square, and Saturdays move with the season — lakefront during marathon training, Bang Bang Pie the rest of the year.

Chinatown · Weekly

5W Run Club

Splits its time between Chinatown and Pilsen on the near South Side.

Bucktown · Tue, Thu

606 Athletic Club

A neighborhood athletic collective — running and yoga year-round, biking when it is warm — doing a social three miles through Bucktown and Wicker Park twice a week and ending every one of them at a bar.

Bronzeville · Sun · 7:00 AM

7onSundays

Founded in 2018 by three South Side natives to get Black and brown runners moving through their own neighborhoods. Seven miles every Sunday at 7am — the "Sunday Service" — under the motto "No Pace, Just Vibes." No registration, just show up.

Logan Square · Weekly

Album Runs

A run club built around records: each session is set to an album, sometimes with the local band that made it along for the miles. Usually meets by The 606, occasionally elsewhere.

Austin · Thu · 5:30 PM

Austin Run Crew

A free CARA crew on the West Side, alternating between two three-mile routes through Austin. Walkers are as welcome as runners.

City-wide · Weekly

Black Girls Run Chicago

The Chicago chapter of Black Girls RUN!, whose stated mission is tackling health disparities among Black women by getting them running together.

West Town · Sun, Tue, Thu

Blue Line Run Club

Three runs a week along the West Town corridor — a Sunday morning, a Tuesday evening, and an early Thursday. Its published domain is dead; Instagram is the live source.

City-wide · Wed, Sat · 6:30 PM

Chicago Area Runners Association

Chicago's nonprofit running advocacy organization and the umbrella over the free neighborhood Run Crews listed here — Wednesday track, weekend long runs, and marathon training across the city and suburbs. Friend-level membership is free.

City-wide · Weekly

Chicago Endurance Sports

Year-round structured training groups for 5K through marathon, coached, across the city.

City-wide · Sun · 2:00 PM

Chicago Hash House Harriers

The Chicago chapter of the self-described "drinking club with a running problem" — a rotating trail every week, laid by a hare, ending somewhere with beer.

The Loop · Weekly

Chicago Muslim Running Club

A downtown running community for Chicago Muslims, welcoming runners of every level.

City-wide · Weekly

Chicago Road Runners

A city-wide road running club racing and training across Chicago.

The Loop · Weekly

Chicago Slow Run Club

Exactly what the name says — a downtown club where running slowly is the format, not an apology.

City-wide · Weekly

Chicago Track Club

Unconfirmed

A long-running competitive club racing across the track, road and cross-country seasons.

City-wide · Weekly

CUSS Running

A Chicago running community with a sense of humour about the whole thing, and one of the better local guides to the rest of the scene.

City-wide · Weekly

DW Running

A Chicago coaching group running structured workouts and group sessions across the city.

Chinatown · Weekly

Family Style RC

A run club splitting its weeks between Chinatown and Montrose Beach, run like the name suggests.

Lakeview · Mon · 6:00 PM

Fleet Feet Lakeview

A free Monday-evening store run from the Lakeview shop, all paces and skill levels welcome.

Lincoln Square · Mon, Sat

Fleet Feet Lincoln Square

Free store group runs — Monday evenings and Saturday mornings — open to every pace, no membership and no signup.

Old Town · Mon, Thu · 6:00 PM

Fleet Feet Old Town

Twice-weekly evening store runs out of Old Town, free and open to all paces.

South Loop · Mon, Wed · 6:00 PM

Fleet Feet South Loop

Free evening store runs twice a week out of the South Loop shop, every pace welcome.

Lincoln Park · Tue, Sat

Frontrunners/Frontwalkers Chicago

Chicago's LGBTQ+ running and walking club since 1982, and a Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame inductee. Runs go 3 to 5 miles, walks 1 to 2, and both end with a shared meal.

Edgewater · Thu · 6:00 AM

Glen Glen Runners

The CARA crew for Edgewater and Andersonville — starts at Glen/Glen, collects more runners at Sheridan & Berwyn at 6:20, then heads for the Lakefront Trail. Three to eight miles depending who shows.

Gold Coast · Fri, Sat · 6:30 AM

Gold Coast Run Club

"Friends Fridays" runs five miles at 7:50 to 10:00 pace with a 5K option at 10:30, starting from Castaways on the lakefront, plus a 9am Saturday run. Just show up.

Hyde Park · Tue, Sat

GumboFit

Founded in Hyde Park in 2019 to bring everyday Black and brown athletes on the South Side together through movement. Beyond the weekly runs it has put on 20-week marathon training, team racing, coach certifications and photography fellowships.

Lincoln Park · Tue, Thu, Sat

Heartbreak Hill Running Company

Store-based training with actual structure: Heartbreaker Practice on Tuesdays, Signature Speed on Thursdays, and a Saturday long run.

City-wide · Weekly

Hot Girl Run Club Chi

A social-first Chicago run club that leans all the way into the hang.

Humboldt Park · Tue · 6:00 PM

Humboldt Park Run Crew

A free CARA crew alternating weekly between a neighborhood route and a park route, about three miles. Jogging strollers and leashed dogs are welcome and it goes rain or shine.

Streeterville · Tue · 6:30 PM

Lake Shore Park Track

CARA's Tuesday night track workouts — 1.5 to 3 miles of intervals, arrive early to warm up. Regulars race the CARA Circuit as the Lake Shore Park Racing Club.

Lakeview · Tue · 6:30 PM

Lakeview Run Club

One of the largest weekly turnouts in the city — 150-plus runners doing an out-and-back on the Lakefront Path, 1.5 to 5 miles, then dinner and drinks at Vines. Explicitly noncompetitive: no signup, just show up.

City-wide · Weekly

Latinas Run Chicago

The Chicago chapter of Latinas Run, building a running community for Latina runners across the city.

North Lawndale · Weekly

Let's Move Lawndale!

A West Side movement group getting North Lawndale neighbors running and walking together.

Lincoln Park · Sun · 9:00 AM

Lincoln Park Pacers

A Sunday-morning neighborhood run that starts and finishes at the same Lincoln Park bar, built around the hang as much as the miles.

Marquette Park · Tue · 5:00 PM

Marquette Park Run Crew

A free CARA crew alternating between a neighborhood route and a park route, three miles either way. Jogging strollers and leashed pets welcome, and it runs rain or shine.

Bronzeville · Sun, Tue

Men Run Deez Streets

A South Side crew running Sunday and Tuesday mornings out of Bronzeville.

Garfield Ridge · Weekly

Midway Mile Chasers

A Southwest Side crew running the neighborhoods around Midway.

Lincoln Park · Fri

Nameless Track Club

A Friday-morning lakefront crew with a track-club bent, documenting its sessions publicly rather than running a formal membership.

The Loop · Wed, Fri · 6:06 AM

November Project Chicago

Free 6:06am group fitness, twice a week, outdoors in any weather. Fridays are at The Bean, the last Friday of the month is PR Day at AMA Plaza, and Wednesday locations move monthly.

Chatham · Sat

OnThe9 Run Crew

Saturday mornings out of Carver Park on the South Side.

Garfield Park · Sat · 9:15 AM

Peace Runners 773

A nonprofit built to close health gaps on the West Side — a one-mile walk or two-mile jog every Saturday from the Gold Dome, for all ages and all paces, free.

City-wide · Weekly

Read & Run Chicago

A book club and a run club at once: read the book, then run the Chicago neighborhoods and landmarks it takes place in.

River Park · Tue · 6:30 PM

River Park Run Crew

A CARA crew running north and back along the river trail, aimed squarely at getting River Park neighbors moving together rather than at race times.

Rogers Park · Weekly

Rogers Park Running Club

An all-volunteer neighborhood club with four standing weekly runs: two morning options that let you finish wherever your commute needs, a 1.5-mile evening social loop, and a northbound long run into the suburbs.

Humboldt Park · Tue · 6:30 AM

Run Too Hard

An early Tuesday run out of Atmos Coffee in Humboldt Park, back in time for work.

City-wide · Weekly

Second City Track Club

A competitive Chicago track club for runners chasing times rather than company.

South Loop · Weekly

South Loop Runners

A South Loop neighborhood club with a "Slow Pokes" group for runners who want company rather than a pace target. Its published domain no longer resolves.

Pilsen · Sun · 10:00 AM

Tortugas Run Club

Tortugas means tortoises, and that is the whole thesis — a Sunday two-mile walk, jog or run built for slower runners. The route passes the founder’s father’s childhood home and church, and most weeks ends with everyone hanging around Harrison Park.

Lakeview · Mon · 6:30 PM

Universal Sole

Universal Sole closed its retail store in 2017 and now runs as USOLE Running Events — a free, drop-in Monday Night Fun Run from Bitter Pops Bottle Shop in Lakeview, 3 to 6 miles at all paces with run/walk options, finishing back at Bitter Pops. A fixture of the Chicago running scene.

Pilsen · Wed · 7:00 PM

Venados Running Club

Founded in 1981 to connect Pilsen runners over shared miles and a few beers, and still doing exactly that — three or five miles every Wednesday from Monochrome, all paces, plus a youth branch since 2017.

Little Village · Tue, Thu, Sun

Viento Little Village Runners Club

Ten-plus years of getting Little Village walking, jogging and running — started by four friends, now a bilingual Spanish/English familia of all paces meeting three times a week at the 26th Street mural.

Lakeview · Tue · 6:00 AM

Waveland Warriors

A CARA run crew that grew out of friendships made in marathon training — roughly six miles up the Lakefront Trail from Waveland to the North Avenue Chess Pavilion, at whatever pace you brought.

West Loop · Thu · 6:00 AM

West Loop Run Crew

A free Thursday-morning CARA crew that alternates routes through the West Loop, three to five miles, walkers explicitly included. Membership is the free CARA Friend level.

West Town · Fri · 6:30 AM

West Town Brew Crew

Friday mornings from a different West Town coffee shop each week, with the post-run coffee being at least half the point.