City running club guide
Arlington has 5 run clubs to pick from, and some are free to run with and all 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 Arlington, 3 run on roads and sidewalks, 2 run on trails and 1 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
Arlington, Virginia
Running group for guys in their 20s and 30s based in Arlington, VA, organizing friendly, non-competitive group runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The group meets at Ballston Local on Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM and at Rocklands BBQ on Tuesday evenings, with post-run social activities at both locations.
Arlington, Virginia
Arlington Running Club hosts a weekly non-competitive 5K run called Run 'n' Quaff every Thursday at 6:30 PM from Astro Beer Hall in Shirlington. The group welcomes runners of all abilities and ages, followed by drinks at the beer hall.
Arlington, Virginia
Capital Area Runners is a DC metropolitan area training club based in Arlington that offers coached group workouts and weekend long runs for motivated, competitive-minded runners. Individual membership includes Saturday and Sunday morning runs and a newsletter; the Distance Training Program adds weekday interval and tempo workouts with a customized training plan.
Arlington, Virginia
Free social running club that meets every Tuesday at 6:30 PM at Dudley's Sport and Ale in Shirlington Village for a group run (5K summer, 6K winter) followed by happy hour. Open to walkers, joggers, and runners of all levels.
Arlington, Virginia
Virginia Happy Trails Running Club is a dirt-trail running club based in Northern Virginia that holds weekly Sunday and Wednesday trail runs in Rock Creek Park and Great Falls National Park. The club welcomes runners of all abilities and ages, with runs requiring no sign-up and offering varying distances throughout the season.
Something to train for
A club gives you the training; a date on the calendar gives you the reason. There are 12 upcoming races around Arlington, each with finish-time stats from past editions so you can see what you would actually be signing up for.
Arlington clubs run on 6 days of the week, and Tuesday is the busiest with 3 clubs out. Wednesday 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.
3 clubs run on roads and sidewalks, 2 clubs run on trails and 1 club run on park paths. Clubs often mix surfaces week to week, so it is worth checking a route before you commit.
1 of the 5 Arlington 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.
