Group run schedule

When to Show Up

Saturdaylong runs start 6:00 AM prime season / 6:30 AM spring, 3-22 milesTuesdaymorning starts 5:15 AM and evening starts 6:00 PM with 10 minute warm-up and 50 minute workoutSundaytrail runs once monthly
Frequency
Weekly Saturday and Tuesday; monthly Sunday trail runs
Seasonality
Prime season: 34 weeks June-February (33 Saturday long runs, 28 Tuesday AM interval workouts, 28 Tuesday PM group runs). Spring season: 13 weeks February-May. Spring Beginner: 18 weeks January-May. Year Pass: 48 weeks February-February.

About This Club

In Flight Running is a coached training program, not a casual drop-in club. They have been running structured programs in Houston since 2004, with Saturday long runs, Tuesday interval sessions, and monthly trail runs built around a formal season and a paid membership. If you are training toward a specific race, from a 5K up to a marathon, this is built around that goal.

Highlights

  • Access to head coach with 29 years of experience
  • Structured training plans via smartphone app
  • Saturday fluid-supported long runs
  • Tuesday coached interval training
  • Monthly trail runs
  • Race preparation for all distances

Who It Suits

This suits runners who want a plan, a coach, and accountability across a full season, not just a weekly social jog. If you prefer showing up whenever you feel like it without committing to a membership, this is probably not your setup. The range of paces and the beginner-specific spring season make it genuinely accessible to newer runners, as long as you are ready to commit to the structure.

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What a Run With Them Is Like

Saturday long runs start at Shaq's Big Chicken in the Houston Heights and cover anywhere from 3 to 22 miles depending on where you are in the season, with fluid support on the course. Tuesday sessions happen at Memorial Park's Roy Cullen Timing Track, with a 10-minute warm-up followed by 50 minutes of coached interval work.

Terrain is a mix of urban streets, sidewalks, and paved bayou trails through spots like Buffalo Bayou Park, White Oak Bayou, and near Rice University. Once a month on a Sunday, they swap pavement for trail.

Distance3-22 miles on Saturday long runs, 5K to marathon race training
PaceAll paces welcome. Group welcomes runners of all ages, skill levels, and paces from beginners to Boston qualifiers.
TerrainUrban streets and sidewalks in Houston Heights and Inner 610 loop, Paved park and bayou trails at Buffalo Bayou Park, White Oak Bayou, Memorial Park, Hermann Park, and near Rice University

Your First Run

Before you show up, they want you to reach out first. Text Coach Merlino at 832-619-9280 or contact him through their website, so you are not walking into a parking lot at 6:00 AM not knowing what to expect.

Membership runs $185-$450 depending on the program and season, but there is a 30-day money-back guarantee if it does not click for you. The group takes runners from true beginners all the way to Boston qualifiers, and the structured training plans mean your pace does not have to match anyone else's for you to follow the program.