[ D1HobbyJogger ]

8 Best Free Run Clubs In Boston 

Are you new to Boston? Or just looking into picking up a new hobby and making new friends? Joining a running group is the best way to meet people, find others with similar interests and it gives you something to look forward to at the end of the day. Or all week! Here is a list of all the running groups offered in and around Boston and their schedules. 

MONDAY 

Marathon Sports 6:15PM (Newburyport) 

Somerville Road Runners 6:45PM Davis Square 

TUESDAY 

Heartbreakers 6:30AM 

Midnight Runners 7:00PM (Downtown)

Somerville Road Runners 7:00PM (Tufts) 

Marathon Sports 5:00PM (Norwell) 

Marathon Sports 6:30PM (Shrewsbury) 

WEDNESDAY 

Brighton Bangers 6:30PM  (Oak Square )

Tracksmith 6:30PM 

Somerville Road Runners 6:30AM (west Somerville) 

Somerville Road Runners 6:30PM (Waltham) 

Marathon Sports 6:30 PM (Boston) 

Marathon Sports 6:00PM (Cambridge) 

THURSDAY 

Heartbreakers 6:30AM (Newton, Southie, Cambridge)

Notch Brewing Run Club 7:00PM (Brighton, Salem)  

Somerville Road Runners 7:15PM (East Somerville) 

Marathon Sports 6:00PM (Plymouth, Wellesley)

Marathon Sports 6:15PM (Yarmouth)  

Marathon Sports 6:30PM (Brookline, Northampton)

SATURDAY 

Brighton Bangers 9/10AM (Oak Square)

Heartbreakers 8AM (Newton) 

Notch Brewing Run Club (11:30AM) 

SUNDAY 

Midnight Runners 10AM (TBD)

Tracksmith 8AM (Newbury Street)

Somerville Road Runners 8:45AM (Fresh Pond) 

1. Midnight Runners 

This group is an International party in the streets Bootcamp that can have anywhere between 80-160 runners each week. They meet at Scholars downtown and hit the streets at 7 PM on Tuesdays for a 5k or 5 Mile bootcamp run. If you’re out on the Charles River or in Seaport you may see a crowd gathered doing squats, push ups and other exercises around with Loud party music. They also offer a long run on Sundays with changing locations each week. They have organized 6, 8.5 or 10 mile routes planned and posted on Heylo. Download the app Heylo to sign up and learn more about the Midnight Runners. (21+).

2. Brighton Bangers 

This group local to Oak Square is a great way to have a social and active Wednesday Evening. They meet in front of the YMCA at 7pm to kick off either the 3 mile, 4.5 mile or 6 mile run. This group is very welcoming and has banquets, travel races, and grand prix races monthly so if you’re into racing with a team, you have a lot of opportunities. After each run they go to the Last Drop for a beer to keep the fun going longer. This Group also has a long run on Saturdays at 9am/10am depending on the time of the year. If you’re interested in being endorsed for leadership on linkedIn, become a run leader on Saturday. This is a great opportunity. :) (21+).

3. TrackSmith 

With Speed workouts open to the public on Wednesdays at 6:30PM, this group is a great way to get a good workout in, increase your heart rate and get to that lactic threshold. They say they are open to runners of all abilities, but I get an intense vibe from this group. These are some serious runners. They meet at their Track house on Newbury Street and hit the roads or the track. Upon completing the workout, they host core in the store and have refreshments after. They also offer a Long run from the store at 8AM ranging from 10-20 miles in distance. 

4. Marathon Sports 

This popular running store has 10 locations in and around the Boston Area. All offering run groups. Monday to Thursday. Find the one that works best for you! Being a hub for running gear, they often have vendors at the running group and themed events and all your running gear related questions answered. Range of miles is unknown. 

BOSTON – Wednesdays 6:30pm BROOKLINE – Thursdays  6:30 pm
CAMBRIDGE – Wednesdays 6pm NEWBURYPORT – Mondays  6:15pm
NORTHAMPTON – Thursdays 6:30 pm NORWELL – Tuesdays 5:00pm
PLYMOUTH – Thursdays 6:00pm SHREWSBURY – Tuesdays  6:30pm
WELLESLEY – Thursdays 6pm YARMOUTH – Thursdays 6:15pm

5. Heartbreakers 

Famous for heartbreak hill on the Boston Marathon Course, The Heartbreak Hill Running Company puts on a great workout. Powered by Nike, they have Tuesday Mornings track workouts at 6:30am at the MIT track. Thursday’s Speed workouts are a great time and are usually a mix between track and interval training at any of their 4 locations (Newton, Southie, Cambridge and Chicago)  starting at 6:30PM. Usually mileage for the day is between 4 and 7 miles including the warm up and cool down. This group varies in ages from high school to grandmas and grandpas and is welcoming to everyone of all abilities. They also offer long runs at their Newton location Saturday mornings at 8am ranging from 4-20 miles depending on the time in training cycles.

6. Notch Brewing Run Club 

Run “meters for liters” and join this group at either their Brighton or Salem location for a 5K run Thursdays at 7PM or 10K run Saturday at 11:30AM. The run group is welcome to all and drinks at the brewery are encouraged after. I saw a lot of the runners represented at the Boston Run to Remember this year and they were fast and well represented. Great group!

7. Somerville Road Runners 

This is not only the oldest run group but also the most active group in Boston with 7 different runs scheduled throughout the week. including morning runs, track workouts, long runs and fun runs from Bars like the Burren and the Mighty Squirrel Tap room. It’s a great place to meet people and get yourself out and running. Click This link to find the run that interests you the most! 

8. TrailblazHERs 

This women's only running group is all about empowering women and they value diversity in sisterhood. They have many events posted on their instagram and facebook linked below. Check them out for a positive high energy filled group of women.