Beginner-friendly run clubs
in Chicago Metropolitan.
55 Beginner-friendly run clubs meet in Chicago Metropolitan.
10 clubs run on Tuesday.
The largest groups meet in Lakeview and The Loop, with 3 clubs each.
55 of the 95 run clubs across Chicago Metropolitan. Browse by day or vibe above the list.
Browse by day
Each day is its own page of Chicago Metropolitan clubs. Clear comes back to all 95.
Browse by vibe
Each vibe is its own page of Chicago Metropolitan clubs — pick the scene you want.
Showing 1–36 of 55 clubs in 👟 Beginner OK · Chicago Metropolitan
Chicago · Chinatown · Weekly
5W Run Club
Splits its time between Chinatown and Pilsen on the near South Side.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadChicago · 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.
🌙 Night Runners🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailBeginner friendlyChicago · 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.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailLake Zurich · City-wide · Weekly
Alpine Runners
A Lake Zurich club running year-round programs, from beginner groups through marathon training.
🤝 Community First⚡ PR Chasers👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailBeginner friendlyChicago · 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.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadWalker friendlyNo-dropBerwyn · City-wide · Weekly
Berwyn Runners and Walkers Club
A near-west-suburban club whose name says the important part: walkers are members, not guests.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadWalker friendlyBeginner friendlyChicago · 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.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadBeginner friendlyNo-dropElk Grove Village · Busse Woods · Mon, Sat
Busse Woods Running Club
A nonprofit RRCA charter club running the Busse Woods trails, with a free Couch to 5K program for people starting from nothing.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OK🌿 TrailTrailBeginner friendlyHammond · Wolf Lake · Thu · 6:30 PM
Calumet Region Striders
Northwest Indiana’s longest-running club, an RRCA 501(c)(3) founded in 1978. The Thursday-evening group run leaves Wolf Lake Pavilion and welcomes every experience level; the club also staffs a Chicago Marathon water stop.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailBeginner friendlyChicago · 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.
⚡ PR Chasers🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailWalker friendlyBeginner friendlyChicago · City-wide · Weekly
Chicago Endurance Sports
Year-round structured training groups for 5K through marathon, coached, across the city.
⚡ PR Chasers👟 Beginner OKRoadChicago · The Loop · Weekly
Chicago Muslim Running Club
A downtown running community for Chicago Muslims, welcoming runners of every level.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadChicago · The Loop · Weekly
Chicago Slow Run Club
Exactly what the name says — a downtown club where running slowly is the format, not an apology.
👟 Beginner OK🤝 Community FirstRoadNo-dropBeginner friendlyChicago · 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.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadEvanston · City-wide · Weekly
Evanston Running Club
Runs across the week in three pace groups — sub-8:00, 8:30 to 9:30, and 10:00-plus — with no signup required, plus a summer track series and an 0-to-5K program for new runners.
🤝 Community First⚡ PR Chasers👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailBeginner friendlyNo-dropChicago · Chinatown · Weekly
Family Style RC
A run club splitting its weeks between Chinatown and Montrose Beach, run like the name suggests.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailAlgonquin · City-wide · Wed · 6:00 PM
Fleet Feet Algonquin
A free Wednesday-evening store run, all paces and skill levels welcome.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadBeginner friendlyDeerfield · City-wide · Mon · 6:00 PM
Fleet Feet Deerfield
A free Monday-evening store run on a 3.5 mile route, open to every pace.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadBeginner friendlyElmhurst · City-wide · Thu · 6:00 PM
Fleet Feet Elmhurst
A free Thursday-evening store run, all paces welcome, plus seasonal training programs.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailBeginner friendlyChicago · Lakeview · Mon · 6:00 PM
Fleet Feet Lakeview
A free Monday-evening store run from the Lakeview shop, all paces and skill levels welcome.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadBeginner friendlyLibertyville · City-wide · Tue · 6:15 PM
Fleet Feet Libertyville
A free Tuesday-evening store run covering three to six miles, all paces welcome.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadBeginner friendlyChicago · 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.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadBeginner friendlyOak Park · City-wide · Mon · 6:30 PM
Fleet Feet Oak Park
A free Monday-evening store run with good access to the Prairie Path, all paces welcome.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailBeginner friendlyChicago · 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.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadBeginner friendlyChicago · 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.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadBeginner friendlyChicago · 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.
🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OK🍳 Brunch CrewRoadTrailWalker friendlyNo-dropGlen Ellyn · City-wide · Tue, Thu, Sun · 6:00 PM
Glen Ellyn Runners
Founded in 1999 and now 250-plus runners of every age and ability — Tuesday speed work with coaches, a Thursday mid-week long run, and Sunday training runs plus an 8am fun run/walk. Guests can try it before joining.
⚡ PR Chasers🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailWalker friendlyBeginner friendlyChicago · 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.
🤝 Community First⚡ PR Chasers👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailBeginner friendlyCrystal Lake · City-wide · Weekly
Health Bridge Road Runners
Unconfirmed
A road running group out of Health Bridge Fitness in Crystal Lake.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadHomewood · City-wide · Weekly
Homewood-Flossmoor Community Running Club
A south-suburban community club serving Homewood and Flossmoor.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadBeginner friendlyChicago · City-wide · Weekly
Hot Girl Run Club Chi
A social-first Chicago run club that leans all the way into the hang.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadChicago · 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.
🌙 Night Runners🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OK🐕 Dog-FriendlyRoadTrailWalker friendlyStroller friendlyDog friendlyRain-or-shineCicero · City-wide · Weekly
Indios Running Club
A Cicero and Berwyn crew with deep neighborhood roots, running the near west suburbs together.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadChicago · 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.
🌙 Night Runners🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadTrailBeginner friendlyChicago · City-wide · Weekly
Latinas Run Chicago
The Chicago chapter of Latinas Run, building a running community for Latina runners across the city.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadBeginner friendlyChicago · North Lawndale · Weekly
Let's Move Lawndale!
A West Side movement group getting North Lawndale neighbors running and walking together.
🤝 Community First👟 Beginner OKRoadWalker friendly