Local guide
Running in Minnesota
Most group running in Minneapolis revolves around two corridors: the Chain of Lakes loop in the southwest and the Mississippi Riverfront paths downtown. The lakes loop connects Lake Harriet, Bde Maka Ska, Lake of the Isles, and Cedar Lake on smooth, paved paths that feel designed for exactly this, with enough length to build on.
The riverfront adds skyline views and continuous waterfront mileage on both banks. These are the routes where you will find most of the clubs gathering on weekday evenings.
The Midtown Greenway ties those two worlds together, running east-west across south Minneapolis and giving runners a car-light connection between the river and the lakes. For runners who want dirt underfoot, Theodore Wirth Park on the city's western edge has wooded singletracks and rolling terrain that feel nothing like the lake paths. Two clubs here run trails, and this is largely where that happens.
Winter changes the calculus. The lake and river paths can be icy and dark by December, and the clubs that run year-round have worked out how to handle it, some shifting times, some running the U.S. Bank Stadium concourses on the worst nights. From spring through fall, long daylight hours and generally comfortable temperatures make the lake and river routes genuinely pleasant for longer social runs.
How to Choose a Minnesota Running Club
If you can only get out on one specific night, the week is covered: every day has at least two clubs running. Tuesday and Thursday are the busiest, each with three clubs going out. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday each have two options. So the constraint is rarely the calendar, it is more likely to be cost or commitment.
On cost: only one club here offers free runs with no strings attached. Four charge dues or a per-event fee. That said, two clubs require no membership to show up, so you can turn up without signing anything first. If money is the deciding factor, that narrows things down quickly, and the FAQ below names them.
If you walk part of the run, or you are worried about pace, two clubs explicitly say walkers are welcome, and the beer-run groups in particular make no fuss about pace or staying together as a group. If you want trails rather than pavement, two clubs run them.
If you want the social side of running without a hard workout attached, every single club here has a post-run social of some kind, whether that is coffee and breakfast after a long run or a pint at the host brewery.
Narrow it down
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Compare clubs
5 Running Clubs in Minnesota
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.
Beer run
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota Brewery Running Series organizes casual, untimed 5k-ish fun runs that start and end at rotating brewery and taproom locations around Minnesota. Participants run, walk, or jog at their own pace and receive a craft beverage and swag with registration. A portion of all proceeds support local nonprofits.
- When
- Event start times vary by date and host brewery; many events start around late morning (often 9 a.m. to noon) on weekends, with some evening weeknight events around 6 p.m.
- Distance
- 5k, 10k
Beginner-friendlyWalkers welcomeTypical registration around $30 - $33 per event, which includes the run, a craft beverage, and swag
Community
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota Running Club is the University of Minnesota's campus running club offering free daily group runs Monday-Thursday at 5:30pm and Friday at 4:30pm at Cooke Hall. The club welcomes runners of all abilities with multiple pace and distance groups, plus optional workouts for distance, sprints, and field events 2-3 times per week.
- Runs
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
- When
- Monday-Thursday at 5:30pm, Friday at 4:30pm
- Distance
- Various distances offered at each daily run; groups organized by different distances
Beginner-friendlyFree daily runs; optional racing team costs about $50 per year or $30 per semester
Community
Minneapolis, Minnesota
NorthStar Running is a Minneapolis-St. Paul based running club offering daily group runs except Thursday, with a wide range of paces from 2:40 marathoners to 6-hour finishers. The club features runs around local lakes, river paths, and occasional trail runs, with a strong social culture including post-run coffee and weekend events.
- Runs
- Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
- When
- Weekday runs at 6:00 PM (except Friday at 6:00 AM); weekend runs at 8:00 AM in spring/fall/winter and 7:30 AM in summer
Beginner-friendly$40 per year for standard membership; $60 per year for membership with coaching add-on
Beer run
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Run Beer Repeat is a Minneapolis-St. Paul area social running club that meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at rotating brewery locations. Runs are 30 minutes long starting at 6:30 pm, followed by post-run beer and socializing.
- Runs
- Thursday
- When
- 6:30 pm
- Distance
- 30 minutes, About 3 miles
Beginner-friendlyWalkers welcome
Community
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Twin Cities Running Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization welcoming runners of all ages and abilities, founded in 2003 to serve both beginners and experienced runners. The club organizes weekly group runs, including Tuesday evening runs along the Mississippi River, alternating weekend long runs with multiple distance options, and Thursday speed work during summer.
- Runs
- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
- When
- Tuesdays 6:00 p.m., Thursdays 6:00 p.m. (summer only), weekend long runs alternating Saturdays/Sundays, and other group runs during evenings and weekends
Beginner-friendlyMembership fees begin at $25
