State running club guide
Colorado's running clubs listed here are all in Denver, a city built for year-round mileage thanks to flat river paths, dry air and a low-key culture that treats winter as just another training block.
Whether you want a hard track workout or a slow lap with people to talk to, the sixteen clubs here split fairly cleanly by night, by cost and by whether you're on pavement or dirt. The real decision isn't which club is best, it's which one fits the one night a week you actually have.
Local guide
Most of Denver's group running happens on the same handful of paved greenways: the Cherry Creek Trail running from Confluence Park through downtown, the South Platte River Trail, and the loop circuits at Washington Park, Sloan's Lake and City Park.
Clubs build their weeks around these places and the bars and breweries that sit next to them, Cerebral Run Club meets right at Cerebral Brewing in Congress Park, Denver Beer Company Run Club and HTB Run Club work out of the Highland and LoHi taprooms, and Denver Run Club finishes at Ratio Beerworks in RiNo.
Washington Park itself hosts both Good Boys Running Club and Revolution Running, while Denver Trail Runners heads out from Deer Creek Park for dirt instead of asphalt. If you want softer footing without leaving the city, the High Line Canal's long shaded stretches and the foothill trails near Green Mountain are where that appetite gets fed. None of this is a seasonal scene, lit parks and indoor tracks keep the routine going straight through winter.
What they run on
Start with your night: Tuesday is the busiest single night with 8 clubs running, Friday is the quietest with just 2, so if Friday is your only free evening your options narrow fast. On cost, 9 clubs are free to show up to with no dues, and 7 charge something, so it's worth checking which column a club falls into before you commit to a schedule.
If you need to walk some of it, 11 clubs say walkers are welcome outright, the rest simply haven't said either way, which isn't the same as a no. And if pavement isn't your thing, a smaller set of these clubs build their runs around trail terrain instead of road, worth checking before you show up in road shoes.
Narrow it down
Compare clubs
Each profile includes the practical details runners need: when to go, where to meet, what pace to expect, and whether the club is a good first group run.
Denver, Colorado
Cerebral Run Club, hosted by Denver Athletics at Cerebral Brewing Congress Park, offers Monday 6 PM runs of 1-3 miles around City Park for all levels with pace groups. Enjoy $1 off post-run beers. Welcoming community for beginners to experts.
Denver, Colorado
Citius RC is a Denver-based social run club since 2017 focused on community, inclusivity, and running joy. Offers pace-grouped runs including Saturday long runs, Track Tuesdays, Thursday tempos, and Friday breakfast club at rotating Denver locations. No dues or time standards.
Denver, Colorado
Colorado's women-only running club since 1978, welcoming all ages, abilities, paces from sub-7 min/mile to walkers. Offers fun runs, Sunday group runs, track, trails, volunteering in Denver metro. Builds social network and supports running community.
Denver, Colorado
Colorado Harriers is a Denver-based distance running team offering structured track, tempo, and long run workouts for adults of all abilities to improve race performance. Free, open sessions March-November with post-workout socials.
Denver, Colorado
Denver Beer Company's Run Club meets Tuesdays at 6:30pm and Thursdays at 6:30pm at Platte Street and other taprooms. All paces welcome for casual runs followed by BOGO beers, free beer for first-timers, inclusive for walkers and social runners.
Denver, Colorado
Denver Run Club is a fast-growing social run club hosting 5k group runs Tuesdays at 6pm from Ratio Beerworks in RiNo and occasional Saturdays. Inclusive paces, all levels welcome, ends with brewery socializing. Newest popular spot for fun community miles.
Denver, Colorado
Denver Trail Runners (DTR) is a free, informal trail running group in the Denver Front Range area. Weekly runs on Tuesdays at Deer Creek Park, Thursdays and Sundays at varying trail locations. All paces and experience levels welcome, with post-run dinners on Thursdays.
Denver, Colorado
Fleet Feet Colorado hosts group runs at store locations across Denver metro and beyond, offering beginner-friendly distances like 3-6 miles on roads, guided winter training with coffee stops, and community events for all levels.
Denver, Colorado
Denver-based running club started by Olympic Trials competitors, blending competitive training with fun dog-petting culture around Washington Park. Offers pace groups for various levels, community events, and race team entries.
Denver, Colorado
Free social run club meeting every Wednesday at 6:30 PM at Highland Tap & Burger in LoHi, Denver. Offers 4-10k routes through Highlands/LoDo, wide paces, followed by free post-run dinner. Year-round since 2010 with special events.
Denver, Colorado
Denver's oldest track-specific running club offering interval workouts Tuesdays at 5:45 PM March-October at Belleview Elementary track for all ages, abilities, and paces from sub-5 min/mile to 12 min/mile. Promotes fitness, social interaction, and competition with volunteer leaders.[1]
Denver, Colorado
Coached running training club for all abilities in Denver metro with mid-week runs at Wash Park, City Park and Saturday long runs rotating locations. Five pace groups, up to 3 workouts weekly, seasonal programs targeting major CO races.
Denver, Colorado
Non-profit, all-volunteer club in Denver Metro offering monthly Trophy Series races (2-15km), track workouts, marathon training races (10-20mi), open to runners and walkers of all abilities with handicap scoring for fairness.
Denver, Colorado
Year-round Denver metro marathon training group offering coached Saturday long runs, Tuesday/Thursday speed and trail workouts, Sunday trails. 7-10 pace groups from sub-3 hour to run/walkers. Fully supported with aid stations, varied terrain/routes for all abilities.
Denver, Colorado
Free weekly run club hosted by Runners Roost stores in Denver metro. Open to all levels with multiple paces and distances. Social post-run gatherings with snacks, brand demos, and occasional beer. Beginner-friendly, year-round at store locations like Central Park Denver[1][2][6]
Denver, Colorado
Inclusive social running club meeting Wednesdays at 6:30pm in Denver's City Park. Offers 2.5, 3.5, or 5-mile routes for all levels. Focuses on run and fun, followed by optional post-run socializing.
Something to train for
284 upcoming races across Colorado. A club gives you the training; a date on the calendar gives you the reason to keep turning up.
9 of the 16 Denver run clubs are free to show up to, with no dues required. The other 7 charge some form of fee or membership, so it's worth checking a club's cost before you build a week around it.
Tuesday is the busiest night, with 8 clubs running: Citius RC, Colorado Harriers, Denver Beer Company Run Club, Denver Run Club, Denver Trail Runners, Phidippides Track Club, Revolution Running, and Runner's Edge of the Rockies. Friday is the quietest, with only 2 clubs meeting.
Six Denver clubs build at least part of their runs on trail terrain:
Denver Trail Runners is the one that runs trail exclusively, meeting out of Deer Creek Park.
15 of the 16 Denver clubs say they welcome beginners, so a slow first run is not unusual. 11 clubs specifically say walkers are welcome, the other 5 simply don't say either way in what they've told us, which means it's worth asking rather than assuming you'd be turned away.
No, 14 of the 16 Denver clubs require no membership to turn up, you just show up when they meet. Only Revolution Running and Runner's Edge of the Rockies require membership to take part.
Only 1 of the 16 Denver clubs specifically says it is dog friendly. The rest haven't said either way, so if you're planning to bring a dog, it's worth messaging the club directly to check before you turn up.
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.
