Running Clubs in Alexandria

Local guide

Where Alexandria Runs

The Mount Vernon Trail is the spine of running in Alexandria. Accessed from Union Street in Old Town, it heads north toward Reagan National Airport and Arlington or south through the Marina Towers stretch with open Potomac views. It is paved, mostly flat, and shared with cyclists, so most group runs here treat it as a connector rather than a destination in itself.

Old Town is where the post-run social scene is densest. King Street and the waterfront put restaurants, pubs, and cafes within a few minutes of wherever you finish, which is exactly why club runs tend to terminate there. Del Ray, a short run north along Mount Vernon Avenue, has its own main-street feel and its own running identity, anchored by neighborhood loops and the Turkey Trot that winds through its streets every Thanksgiving.

The terrain is almost entirely paved, from the asphalt of the Eisenhower Avenue Trail near the African American Heritage Park to the brick sidewalks that line Old Town. Commonwealth Avenue through Rosemont and Del Ray offers a shaded, lower-traffic alternative with a central green median. Expect flat to gently rolling ground throughout, with open waterfront stretches that can feel exposed on windy or humid days.