City running club guide
Phoenix runs early morning or after sunset for most of the year, and that single fact shapes every group run in the city. Once the heat breaks in October, the canal paths and desert trailheads fill back up, and picking a club here is really about picking which stretch of pavement or dirt you want to be on when the temperature finally cooperates.
Local guide
Most of the road running clusters around the canal system: the Grand Canalscape's lit concrete path through central Phoenix, and the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt cutting 12 miles through Scottsdale, both built for exactly the kind of evening group run that dodges daytime heat.
Down in Tempe, the Town Lake Loop draws runners toward downtown's breweries and coffee shops once the miles are done, which is why so much of the post-run social scene sits along that stretch.
For dirt underfoot, Papago Park's gravel trails and the rockier climbs of South Mountain and the Phoenix Mountain Preserve are where the trail-minded groups actually go, elevation changes and all. Central Phoenix's brewery corridor, especially around McDowell Road, doubles as a finish line for more than one group before the socializing starts.
What they run on
If you only have one night, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday each give you three options to choose from, while Tuesday and Saturday each have just one, so plan around those two if your week is tight. Money is rarely the obstacle: six of the seven clubs cost nothing to show up for, and only one runs as a paid program with membership required.
Six clubs say walkers are welcome, so if you need to walk part of it you are very likely to have company, and one club simply hasn't said either way, which just means ask before you assume. Almost everyone here runs road, but if you want dirt and hills instead of canal pavement, two clubs build their runs around trail terrain.
Narrow it down
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Phoenix, Arizona
Free weekly group trail runs every Wednesday evening at rotating mountain parks around Phoenix valley. Pace groups: Fun (3.5mi), Mid (4-4.5mi), Fast (5.5-7mi). All abilities welcome, ~1hr duration, social afterward. Join via Facebook for locations.
Phoenix, Arizona
Mikkeller Running Club Phoenix offers fun group runs followed by beers at breweries. Meets Mondays at Chupacabra Taproom in Mesa and midweek at Phoenix Beer Overlooking Lakeside in Scottsdale. Inclusive for all paces, emphasizing community and post-run happy hour.
Phoenix, Arizona
PHX Run Club is a welcoming Phoenix running community offering free weekly group runs of 3-5 miles at multiple locations including Downtown Phoenix and Tempe, all paces welcome, with optional paid membership for exclusive perks and events.
Phoenix, Arizona
Sole Sports Group Runs are free weekly community runs hosted by Sole Sports running stores in Phoenix metro areas including Tempe, Scottsdale, Arcadia, Phoenix, and Gilbert. Meets Mondays and Thursdays at 6:30 PM, welcoming all paces with post-run store gatherings.
Phoenix, Arizona
Free private running club in Surprise, AZ since 2007 with 500+ members. Encourages runners and walkers of all ages and abilities for fitness, friends, and fun on trails and roads. Non-competitive social group.
Phoenix, Arizona
USA FIT Phoenix is a marathon and half-marathon training program for average people, welcoming runners and walkers from beginners to experienced. Focuses on attainable results through structured training with coaches.
Phoenix, Arizona
Valley Runners Run Club, established 2019 in Central Phoenix, hosts free weekly Thursday 6:30 PM 3-4 mile group runs alternating between Fate Brewing Company and The Joy Lush Club. All paces welcome, inclusive for beginners/walkers, with post-run socials and occasional special events.
Something to train for
A club gives you the training; a date on the calendar gives you the reason. There are 36 upcoming races around Phoenix, each with finish-time stats from past editions so you can see what you would actually be signing up for.
Three clubs run on Mondays in Phoenix: Mikkeller Running Club - Phoenix, PHX Run Club, and Sole Sports Group Runs. Mikkeller pairs its Monday run with happy hour at the brewery taproom, PHX Run Club meets from Roses by the Stairs downtown, and Sole Sports gathers at its store locations with groups split by speed.
Yes, for the most part. Six of the seven Phoenix clubs are free to show up to with no membership needed. USA FIT Phoenix is the exception, it's a paid training program with required membership, built around half-marathon and marathon distances rather than a drop-in weekly run.
Two clubs build their runs around a brewery stop: Mikkeller Running Club - Phoenix, which meets in Scottsdale near Phoenix Beer Overlooking Lakeside for a 6:30pm run followed by happy hour to 9pm, and Valley Runners Run Club, which runs out of Central Phoenix and finishes at Fate Brewing Company / The Joy Lush Club on Thursdays.
Two clubs run on trail terrain. Aravaipa Group Runs meets Wednesday evenings around sunset with three pace groups, from a stop-and-go 'Fun' pace up to a fast group, so slower runners aren't stuck alone. Surprise Running Club runs Tuesdays out of Surprise on a mix of road and trail, described as non-competitive and open to all paces.
Unlikely. Six of the seven Phoenix clubs say walkers are welcome, several explicitly mentioning joggers and walkers running side by side with no one left behind. One club hasn't said either way, so it's worth a quick check with them before you go, but it's not a sign you'd be turned away.
There's one: PHX Run Club runs on Saturdays, with a variable time, in addition to its weekday runs from Roses by the Stairs in downtown Phoenix. If Saturday is the only day that works for you, that's currently the one option in the city.
Where this comes from: Club details come from each club’s own channels (their site, Meetup, Strava and social posts) and are checked by hand. Group runs move, so confirm the meeting spot on the club’s latest post before you head out.
