City running club guide
Los Angeles has 13 run clubs to pick from, and most are free to run with and most are happy to have beginners. What really separates them is the night they run, how far they go, and whether you fancy a drink afterwards.
Local guide
The day and time you can actually make every week rules out more clubs than anything else, so start there, then worry about pace and distance.
After that it comes down to surface and distance. Around Los Angeles, 12 run on roads and sidewalks, 4 run on a track and 3 run on park paths. Every profile below lists pace notes and typical distances, and whether the club is happy for you to walk.
Narrow it down
Compare profiles
Los Angeles, California
Angels City Run Club is a community-powered running club in Los Angeles with regular Wednesday evening and Friday morning runs. Wednesday runs meet at Angels Flight Railway in downtown Los Angeles at 7 p.m., while Friday runs depart from a Starbucks in Culver City at 6:30 a.m.
Los Angeles, California
DTLA Running is a free, community-based running club in Downtown Los Angeles established in 2008. The club meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings at The Bloc, welcoming runners of all ages and paces with different routes each week.
Los Angeles, California
Founders Running Club :: Los Angeles is the Los Angeles chapter of Founders Running Club, a weekly social running and networking group for entrepreneurs, founders, investors, and startup enthusiasts. Runs meet on Saturdays at 7am from Primo Passo Coffee Co in Santa Monica, followed by coffee and post-run conversations.
Los Angeles, California
Good Vibes Track Club is a performance-oriented yet community-focused training group based in South Central Los Angeles, primarily meeting for track sessions at Rancho Cienega Sports Complex with additional tempo and long runs. The club hosts monthly community runs at the Hoxton Hotel in Downtown LA featuring chatty-paced miles and post-run social gatherings.
Los Angeles, California
Keep It Run Hundred is an inclusive, Black-led run club based in Inglewood and Culver City offering free, community-oriented runs on roads. The club welcomes walkers, joggers, and runners of all levels with a strong emphasis on wellness benefits and community support.
Los Angeles, California
LA Craft Runners is a free, all-paces social running club that meets Tuesdays at 7 pm at rotating craft breweries and brewpubs across Los Angeles. The club organizes short runs followed by post-run beers at the host venue.
Los Angeles, California
LA Road Runners is the official 26-week marathon training program for the ASICS Los Angeles Marathon, operated by The McCourt Foundation. The program offers coached pace groups, weekly long runs, and special meetup events across multiple Los Angeles locations including Santa Monica, Griffith Park, and Encino.
Los Angeles, California
Latinos Run LA is the Los Angeles chapter of Latinos Run, a community uplifting the Latino population through fitness and representation. Weekly Wednesday gatherings at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall feature a 6:20pm HIIT class followed by a 5K run or 2 mile walk, free to join.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Running Club is a nonprofit, all-volunteer running club offering year-round structured workouts including Monday evening runs, Wednesday track training, and Saturday long runs across Playa del Rey and Santa Monica. The club serves all levels with multiple pace options and organized race training programs.
Los Angeles, California
Mikkeller Running Club LA is a free, all-levels social run club that meets Monday, Thursday, and Saturday at multiple Los Angeles locations for approximately 5 km runs followed by post-run socializing and beer. All paces and faces are welcome.
Los Angeles, California
Running Mamis is a Latina-led, women-centered run crew in Boyle Heights / Eastside Los Angeles that meets early Saturday mornings twice a month at Los Angeles State Historic Park. It offers varied distances and paces from short stroller-friendly loops to marathon training long runs in a supportive environment for mothers and women of color.
Los Angeles, California
Trail Runners Club is Southern California's oldest trail running club, founded in 1988. It meets every Sunday morning at 7:00 am at rotating trailheads primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains for hilly, non-competitive trail runs typically 8-15 miles with options to go shorter or longer.
Los Angeles, California
Venice Run Club is a free, community-led running club based in Venice with three weekly runs: Tuesday track workouts in Culver City, Wednesday evening runs, and Saturday morning long runs. The club offers multiple distance and pace options for all levels.
Something to train for
A club gives you the training; a date on the calendar gives you the reason. There are 58 upcoming races around Los Angeles, each with finish-time stats from past editions so you can see what you would actually be signing up for.
You can find a group run in Los Angeles every day of the week. Saturday is the busiest, with 6 clubs out. Friday is the quietest, with 1 club. If your schedule only frees up on one day, that is the fastest way to narrow the list.
Start with the day and time you can actually make every week, because that rules out more clubs than anything else. Then look at pace and distance, and only then at the social side. Most runners try two or three before one sticks, and turning up once does not commit you to anything.
12 clubs run on roads and sidewalks, 4 clubs run on a track and 3 clubs run on park paths. If you want to get off road, 2 of the 13 clubs here run trails.
10 of the 13 Los Angeles run clubs are free. The rest usually charge modest annual dues rather than a per-run fee, and most will let you come along once before you decide.
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.
