Best of Philly

Best Running Club

2025 Best Mission-Driven Workout Group

Recovery Run Club

Kellen Matthews-Thompson's Recovery Run Club, which he started in the spring of 2024, is a monthly all-paces, all-ages running group with a mission to connect people in early recovery — all types of recovery. “It could be eating disorders, domestic violence, whatever kind of recovery you’re in,” he explains. “You’re welcome to come out and be around like-minded people that have faced some sort of adversity, and are using fitness and the running community to overcome their issues.” The group typically sees anywhere from 10 to 40 participants, and the pace and distance are set to be inclusive: a 5K loop, with the group meeting back where they started. Learn more in our Best of Philly spotlight. Read More »

Website

2019 Best Running Club

Monster Milers

Jogs with dogs! This group takes pups out of local shelters and brings them on group runs, making sure they get exercise and exposure to the community while they wait to get adopted. Keep reading here. Read More »

PO Box 63574, Philadelphia, PA | 267-282-1270 | Website

2018 Best Running Club

Sansom Street Donut Run

The only things that could get us out of bed and exercising at 9 a.m. on the weekend? Fresh FedNuts and coffee, both of which are served after a three-mile loop through the city. The group meets at Philadelphia Runner on the first Saturday of every month. Read More »

1601 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA | 215-972-8333 | Website

2017 Best Running Group

Chasing Trail

A jaunt with this all-paces-welcome trail-running group (they meet at Wissahickon’s Valley Green Inn at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays) squeezes in a hefty dose of nature, a calf-burning workout and a chance to make new friends, all before brunch. Read More »

Website

2016 Best Running Group

City Fit Girls

Let us count the ways this ladies-only weekly running crew, which has ballooned from a handful of runners to dozens every week in two short years, rocks: They have a no-runner-left-behind rule they actually follow; a run with them doubles as quality girl time; and they occasionally end their sweat sessions with ice cream at Franklin Fountain. Read More »

Website

2015 Best Running Club

Passyunk Beer and Java Runners

If your personal slogan is "Will run for coffee and beer," meet your tribe: This South Philly-based group hosts evening and morning runs that end at different East Passyunk bars and coffee shops. Read More »

Website

2014 Best Running Club

Young Involved Philadelphia Running Club

Once a month, a gaggle of millennials sets out on a group run to an interesting destination in the city—Lemon Hill Mansion, the Reading Viaduct—where an expert awaits to tell them everything they want to know about it. It's a workout-turned-field-trip that ends (duh) at a nearby bar for a few endorphin-fueled rounds. Read More »

Website

2013 Best Running Club

Fishtown Beer Runners

Intimidated by the pace-obsessed, -spandex-clad enthusiasts who populate some running clubs? This once-a-week group (Thursdays at 7 p.m.) is for you. The runs are short (usually three to five miles), the atmosphere is welcoming (all levels attend), and the post-workout refreshments (enjoyed at a different bar each week) are more than motivating. Read More »

Starting point: 2346 East Susquehanna Avenue, Philadelphia, PA Website

2013 Best Running Club for Burger Lovers

Shake Shack’s Shack Track & Field Running Club

Burgers and running aren't exactly the most obvious bedfellows, but at Shake Shack, they work. Here's how: At 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, Shack staffers lead hour-long group runs from the Center City eatery. They always end back at Shake Shack, where you can feast on a post-run burger. Hey, you earned it. Read More »

2000 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA | 215-809-1742 | Website

2013 Best Running Club for Beer Lovers

Fishtown Beer Runners

Fact: When you know there's beer at the end of your run, you'll make it. The friendly runners who convene once a week for a three-to-five-mile run don't hurt, either. Read More »

Website